Safety Coach
Walker Rangers
National Pedestrian Safety Month is right around the corner. The observance is celebrated annually in October as a way to shine a light on road safety risks and encourage the creation of safer transportation systems for pedestrians and bicycle riders.
There are a number of ways you can work to cultivate a road-safety culture at your workplace. First, dig into these findings from a Texas A&M Transportation Institute survey on pedestrian and bicycle safety. Results were compared to previous annual surveys:
Pedestrians
- 3% increase in respondents indicating they walk at least once a week
- 10% increase in respondents saying they cross the road outside a crosswalk or intersection
- 1% increase in people walking for transportation
- Driver behavior continues to be a safety concern for walkers
Bicyclists
- 16% increase in respondents indicating they are biking at least once a week
- 4% increase in people biking for transportation
- 3% increase in riding against traffic in the roadway
- Driver behavior and a lack of bike lanes raise safety concerns for riders
Talk about these findings before you plan your next step challenge event, or organize a workplace bicycle competition to promote the health and wellness of your employees. Then, use our free resources to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety awareness and education at your location (available in English and Spanish):
- Safety posters
- Teaching tools
- Safety quiz
- Safety videos: Driver Behavior Series – Pedestrian Safety and Parking Lots, Hot Cars and Distraction
In addition, get free resources to promote distraction-free driving and help your employees and their family members build safer driving habits. More than 900 pedestrians and bicyclists were killed in crashes on Texas roads last year, according to TxDOT. Distraction and speeding often are contributing factors in fatal crashes.
Finally, be creative in using these TxDOT materials to keep drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists safe this fall.
Tailgate Talk
Be Sure, Not Sorry
The percentage of U.S. workers whose drug tests showed signs of tampering last year reached its highest level in over 30 years, according to Quest Diagnostics’ annual Drug Testing Index.
Katie Mueller, senior program manager at the National Safety Council and head of the Our Driving Concern Texas Employer Traffic Safety program, emphasized the importance of sound drug testing in a recent article published in Safety+Health magazine.
“Cheating on drug tests not only undermines workplace safety but also jeopardizes the safety of society as a whole,” she said.
The spike in tampering corresponds with historically high drug positivity rates in the general workforce, reaching 5.7% in 2023. Post-incident positive results have increased 114% since 2015.
What Can You Do?
Learn to identify the signs and symptoms of impairment in the workplace with free training from the National Safety Council. Work to protect your employees and your bottom line. We offer free online or in-person training. Contact us to schedule your session: [email protected]
- Learn more: Workplace Impairment Training
Scope of the Study
Quest Diagnostics analyzed nearly 9.8 million samples from 2023. Samples were from both the general workforce and safety-sensitive jobs, including pilots, truck drivers and train conductors, all subject to federally mandated drug testing.
General Workforce Drug Use Trends
- Marijuana-positive results increased by 4.7% (4.5% in 2023 vs. 4.3% in 2022) and have risen 45% since 2019
- Cocaine-positive results rose 1% (0.24% in 2023 vs. 0.22% in 2022)
- Amphetamine-positive results remained steady at 5%
- Positive rates for codeine/morphine, hydrocodone/hydromorphone and oxycodone/oxymorphone have declined