Protecting employees from motor
vehicles crashes could be a profitable investment for U.S. businesses,
according to a new report released today by the Network of Employers for
Traffic Safety (NETS). In 2013, U.S. traffic crashes cost employers $47.4
billion in direct crash-related expenses, which includes medical care,
liability, lost productivity and property damage. The study showed that
employers could control costs by promoting safe driving habits, including seat
belt usage and the elimination of speeding, drunk driving and distracted
driving, whether or not employees are on the clock.
“The consequences of traffic
crashes are far reaching. It’s a domino effect that negatively impacts
individuals, families, communities and businesses,” said Dr. Mark Rosekind,
NHTSA Administrator. “It is critical that individuals make safe choices.
Driving behavior change in traffic safety is something NHTSA is exploring
through a series of regional summits. We hope employers will join us and look
at this report as a motivator to help save lives and prevent injuries on our
roads.”
The report shows that more than 1.6 million work days were lost due to traffic crashes, with nearly 90 percent of those days attributed to crashes that occurred off the job, involving employees and/or their dependents. The report details the costs to employers of traffic crashes occurring on and off the job associated with driver behavior.
Speeding resulted in $8.4 billion
in crash-related expenses, with distracted driving close behind, at $8.2
billion. Driving under the influence of alcohol resulted in $6.0 billion in
losses and not wearing a seat belt added $4.9 billion to the total. In
addition, the report finds that medical costs paid by employers per employee
injured in a crash were nearly double in on-the-job crashes where the employee
was not wearing a seat belt and increased by a third for off-the-job crashes.
Click here for an Infographic of the findings.
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| Dr. Mark Rosekind, NHTSA Administrator |
"The consequences of traffic
crashes are far reaching. It's a domino effect that negatively impacts
individuals, families, communities and businesses...We hope employers will join
us and look at this report as a motivator to help save lives and prevent
injuries on our roads." says Dr. Mark Rosekind, NHTSA
Administrator
"When people think of the
human and financial impact of traffic crashes on the workplace, they think
about company car drivers," said Jack Hanley, Executive Director of NETS.
"This new report is an eye-opener. It shows that employers bear the crash
costs of all their employees, not just their company drivers. Investing in road
safety is good business and today's report provides employers with a blueprint
for developing business cases in support of employee road safety."
In tandem with the new report, NETS
is introducing a free toolkit to help employers encourage employees to wear a
seat belt. The toolkit was piloted by Coca-Cola Refreshments at its Bismarck ND
site, where observed seat belt usage increased from a baseline 54 percent to 84
percent over a 6-week period. Coca-Cola Refreshments is a unit of The Coca-Cola
Company, a NETS board member. All the materials used are available in the
toolkit and require minimal time and cost to conduct an all-employee site-wide
seat belt usage improvement campaign. The free toolkit is available at
2seconds2click.org. NETS also offers at no charge The Comprehensive Guide to
Road Safety™ for employers with occupational drivers—available via its website
at trafficsafety.org.
Since October, crews have
completed construction of roadway bus pads—sections of concrete at bus stops
that can support the weight of heavier vehicles like buses—along southbound MD
650. Current crews are constructing upgraded sidewalk ramps, repairing and
replacing curbs and gutters, and installing new traffic light infrastructure
and guardrails. These activities will continue through spring 2016. 
The Rustic Roads Advisory
Committee consists of seven voting members. Its duties include promoting public
awareness of the Rustic Roads Program, and reviewing and commenting on the
classification of rustic roads, development proposals that affect rustic roads,
and executive regulations and policies that may affect the program.
A number of projects are designed to preserve
pavement, restoring the roadway’s structural capacity and integrity. In the
following areas, DHS will make full depth patches, seal cracks, apply the
microsurfacing material and replace lane markings. Upcoming projects will take
about six weeks to complete and will require temporary lane closures. Work
hours will be between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday for the
following communities:
