Calif. State Fund Backs Drive Safely Work Week

Drive Safely Work Week (DSWW), a national campaign sponsored by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) and supported by California’s State Fund, runs Oct. 4-8.

This year’s theme, “Safe Drivers are Good Company. Make Safe Driving Your Business,” emphasizes the importance of safe driving both on and off the job to reduce many preventable vehicle accidents which could result in personal injury or death.

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death and injury in the workforce and the average crash reportedly costs an employer $16,500. Since human error is reportedly a contributing factor in more than 90 percent of the crashes, State Fund believes that it’s just as important for employers to provide their employees with information on driving safely as it is to equip them with the tools for working safely.

Whether driving is a regular part of the job or to commute to and from work, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers’ decisions to tailgate, change lanes abruptly, use excessive speed, and consume alcohol all contribute to the risk of a vehicular crash. These and other hazardous driving behaviors coupled with unsafe driver attitudes make the time employees spend in a vehicle reportedly the most dangerous part of the work day.

DSWW 2004 focuses on five positive driving behaviors:

* Add another second…Keep a safe following distance;
* Steer clear of trouble…Expect bad decisions by other drivers;
* Use good judgment…Just because you can doesn’t mean you should;
* Look ahead…Be alert to changing traffic conditions;
* Stay alert and focused…No one is crash proof.

To launch a DSWW program, visit the NETS Web site at www.trafficsafety.org. There one can access campaign action plans, employee awareness activities, fact sheets, and information on how to obtain an interactive CD-Rom.