Safety Coach
World of Difference
During the first quarter of this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates 1,063 people died in crashes in Texas, an increase of 4.8% over 2021. That’s scary, particularly as we inch closer to the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday driving periods when alcohol-impaired crashes typically spike.
Looking across the country, the picture from the data is equally grim. NHTSA estimates 9,560 people died in the U.S. in crashes during the three-month period from January to March, an increase of 7% over 2021. Impairment, speeding and other reckless driving behaviors continue to drive the numbers in the wrong direction, just as they did during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, traffic volume was down. Today, traffic has returned to near-normal levels.
What can you do to create positive change?
Start with training. Join us Thursday, Oct. 20, for a free online session: Crash Fatalities on the Rise – Traffic Safety Facts Employers Need to Know. Register to attend now. During the session, Senior Program Manager Katie Mueller will focus on the impact of crashes in the workplace. She also will talk about how employers can double-down on what works by creating a culture of traffic safety.
For example, here are some simple tips you can share to help keep your employees and their family members safe on Halloween weekend, a holiday often celebrated with trick-or-treating and costume parties. Drunk- and drugged-driving crashes can spoil the fun.
- Slow down and watch out for pedestrians darting into the street
- Drive distraction-free – that means eyes up, phone down
- If you’re going out, plan for a safe ride home; appoint a designated sober driver, call a taxi, use a ride-share service or the free AAA sober ride service (available for members and non-members alike)
- Serve non-alcoholic drinks at parties: Get recipes to make mocktails
- Encourage pedestrians to stay on sidewalks, cross streets in marked crosswalks and use a “buddy system” to ensure everyone gets home safely
Use these free resources to assist in your education and training efforts:
- Impaired driving posters
- Distraction, impairment and seat belt infographics
- BAC Test: Have your employees check out this timeline to understand how blood alcohol levels can remain elevated long after an individual has stopped drinking
Crashes open the door to increased costs and liability exposure, whether they occur on or off the job. Safety learned at work often is carried home. Arm yourself with current traffic data, then create an environment for change.
Tailgate Talk
Hollywood Premier
Ever here this one before? My team munched on popcorn and watched a movie at our safety meeting this week. No? Why not?
As long as you can spring for the popcorn, we can provide the “movie.” In fact, we’ve created five new driver behavior safety videos. We invite you to watch one – or all five videos with your team. Each lasts about 60 seconds. Then, open a traffic safety dialogue and send in nominations for “best picture” to the Our Driving Concern Academy Awards panel.
Is that a real thing? No. But we would like to hear from you. Email comments to: [email protected]
All five videos are free and easily accessible on our YouTube playlist along with a number of other traffic safety offerings:
- Speeding: Watch in English or Spanish.
- Seat belts: Watch in English or Spanish.
- Impairment: Watch in English or Spanish.
- Fatigue: Watch in English or Spanish.
- Distraction: Watch in English or Spanish.
Not feeling popcorn and a movie? That’s OK. You have other options. Use these videos to boost training efforts at your location. Share them on lobby or breakroom video monitors. Go to our YouTube playlist, open a video, click share and a panel will open. Select from these sharing options:
- Click the embed button to generate a code and use that code to embed the video on your website or intranet safety page
- Click the email icon to send the video link in an e-blast to everyone in your organization
- Click a social icon to share the video and participate in a larger social conversation around traffic safety
- Copy the link and paste it wherever you’d like (Word document, text, etc.)
Gimme 5! Yes, you rate a high-five when you celebrate with these five new traffic safety videos!