COMPANY SPOTLIGHT
Continued from page 26
drivers attention off the road, including talking or texting
on cell phones, eating, conversing with passengers and other
distractions, are a major safety threat.
The NHTSA gauges distracted driving by collecting data on
distraction – affected crashes which focuses on distractions that
are most likely to affect crash involvement such as dialing a
cell phone or texting and being distracted by another person
or an outside event. Latest data from the NHTSA show that
3,477 people died in distraction-affected crashes in 2015, up
8.8 percent from 3,197 in 2014, accounting for 10 percent of
all fatal crashes in the nation, 18 percent of injury crashes and
16 percent of all motor vehicle crashes.
Speeding: According to the NHTSA in 2015, 9,557 lives
were lost due to speeding related accidents. Speeding was a
contributing factor in 28% of all traffic fatalities in 2014.
Alcohol (Substance Abuse): In 2015, 10,265 people were
killed in alcohol-impaired driving fatalities accounted for 29
percent of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the U.S.
Fatigue: A 2014 Traffic Safety Foundation study found that
37 percent of drivers report having fallen asleep behind the
wheel at some point in their lives. An estimated 21 percent of
fatal crashes , 13 percent of crashes resulting in severe injury and
6 percent of all crashes, involve a drowsy driver.
Obviously the above statistics are startling to say the least and
would give any person and/or business owner good reason to
consider the consequences of all of these issues. So what to do?
As a business owner, your operators are charged with the
responsibility of safeguarding themselves, the lives and property
of others not to mention your own property. Therefore they
should be provided all the tools necessary to help mitigate
any incidents. These should include but not be limited to the
following:
• Proper and Extensive Training Specific To Job Functions
(with refresher classes)
• Properly Maintained and Safe Vehicles/Equipment (Formal
Vehicle Maintenance Program)
• Written Safety Program (Including Cell Phone Policy, Drug
Testing, Accident Procedures, Shift Work Procedures)
• Use of GPS and Drive Cam Systems (critical driver
management devices)
We hope that this article provides you with valuable insight
with regards to effective driver management and that your
business, its employees and customers benefit from effective
safety programs.
Happy and Safe Sweeping!!!
Scott Cerosky, Principal, has been serving the Pavement
Maintenance Industry for over 30 years with risk management,
loss control, and insurance services. Scott is a founding member
of NAPSA. In 2016, Scott received the Alan Curtis Industry
Service Award and was inducted into the Pavement Hall of
Fame. You can contact Scott at [email protected]
and learn more about World Insurance Associates, LLC at
ww.worldins.net.
1.800.210.5923
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[29]
May 2019