Motor Vehicle Safety Training
Summary
Unlike other workplaces, the roadway is not a closed environment. Preventing work-related roadway crashes requires strategies that combine traffic safety principles and sound safety management practices. Although employers cannot control roadway conditions, they can promote safe driving behavior by providing safety information to workers and by setting and enforcing driver safety policies. Crashes are not an unavoidable part of doing business. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has identified steps employers can take steps to protect their employees and their companies.
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death and injury for all ages. Crashes on and off the job have far-reaching financial and psychological effects on employees, their coworkers and families, and their employers.
Every 12 minutes someone dies in a motor vehicle crash, every 10 seconds an injury occurs and every 5 seconds a crash occurs. Many of these incidents occur during the workday or during the commute to and from work.
Ways to Promote Safe Driving Practices
- Secure Materials for Transport Tools or equipment should be secured while being transported to prevent unsafe movement of materials. During a crash or when making sudden maneuvers, loose objects can slide around or become airborne, injuring the driver and any passengers. Objects that could become a hazard should be secured or stored outside the passenger compartment.
- Seat Belt Use Seat belts are the single most effective means of reducing deaths and serious injuries in traffic crashes. As the most effective safety device in vehicles, they save nearly 12,000 lives and prevent 325,000 serious injuries in America each year. During a crash, anyone not wearing a seat belt will slam into the steering wheel, windshield, or other parts of the interior, or be ejected from the vehicle.
- Distracted Driving Distracted driving is a factor in 25 to 30 percent of all traffic crashes. With hectic schedules and roadway delays, many employees feel pressured to multi-task just to keep up with their personal and work-related responsibilities. More time on the road means less time at home or at work but “drive time” can never mean “down time.” Since drivers make more than 200 decisions during every mile traveled, it’s critical for employers to stress that when driving for work, safe driving is their primary responsibility.
- Alcohol and Drug Impaired Driving Alcohol use is involved in 40 percent of all fatal motor vehicle crashes, representing an average of one alcohol-related fatality every 30 minutes. It is estimated that three in every 10 Americans will be involved in an impaired driving-related crash some time in their life. Alcohol, certain prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and illegal drugs can all affect a person’s ability to drive safely due to decreased alertness, concentration, coordination and reaction time. Busi-nesses pay a high price for alcohol and drug abuse; alcohol is a contributing factor in 39 percent of all work related traffic crashes.
- Fatigued Driving Fatigued or drowsy driving may be involved in more than 100,000 crashes each year, resulting in 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths. Sadly, these numbers represent only the tip of the iceberg since these crashes are seriously under-reported. These days, it’s more important than ever for employees to be well rested, alert and sober on the road so that they are in a position to defend themselves from drivers who do not make the same choice. Train employees to make smart decisions when they’re behind the wheel, on and off the job.
- Aggressive Driving Employees commuting to and from work and traveling for work purposes often find themselves caught up in bottlenecks and traffic delays, wasting their time and reducing their productivity. These situations create a high level of frustration that can spark aggressive driving behavior. The roadway is one place that being aggressive never pays. Aggressive driving acts include excessive speed, tailgating, failure to signal a lane change, running a red light and passing on the right. The best advice is to avoid engaging in conflict with other drivers and to allow others to merge.
Motor Vehicle Safety Training Resources
Topics covered in this video include:
- Inspecting the vehicle. Adjusting seats, mirrors and other equipment.
- Mental preparation and concentration.
- Passing another vehicle.
- Sharing the road with trucks and buses.
- School bus encounters.
- Driving at night.
- Adverse weather conditions, skidding and hydroplaning.
- Distracted driving.
- Road rage.
- What to do in case of an accident.
- and more.
Motor Vehicle Guide (additional information)