Business and Driving: Inseparable

Contributed Norm Nyhuis, Trainer, Evergreen Safety Council
Most of us drive a motor vehicle; and many of us drive a motor vehicle as part of our job. Large trucks, delivery vans, repair trucks of all sizes or even your personal vehicle, with the illuminated, magnetic “Pizza Delivery” sign stuck on the roof.

Business and driving seem to be inseparable. The sad fact is that motor vehicle-related incidents are consistently the leading cause of work-related fatalities in the United States.

According to the numbers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the approximately 5,700 fatalities annually reported, 35% are associated with motor vehicles. Between 2002-2008, on average:

• 1354 workers died each year from crashes on public highways.
• 324 workers died each year in crashes that occurred off the highway or on industrial premises.
• 358 pedestrian workers died each year as a result of being struck by a motor vehicle.

Since you first attended a “driver’s education” class, as preparation to taking your first driver’s license test, have you attended a driver improvement course? While most of us consider ourselves to be pretty good drivers, each of us does not have to think long on the subject to recall a recent on-the-road incident where the “other guy” was certainly not driving safely.

Unfortunately, it’s not always the overt, intentionally unsafe act or behavior that leads to a collision, but often the way your driving behavior is perceived and how other drivers react to the event. Most of us could benefit from a refresher session to remind us of those safe driving behaviors that, if not already, should become habits.

Does your company offer such a course? If not, contact Evergreen Safety Council, as our Eversafe Driving Course can be structured to meet the needs of your companies’ drivers. We can also train you to become an Eversafe Instructor, to provide in-house training for your fellow employees. Let’s ALL be safe out there!