Here’s why employers need a driving safety program

In the United States, someone dies because of a car crash every 12 minutes and every 10 seconds someone suffers a car crash-related injury.

Every five seconds, a crash happens. For these reasons alone, business owners should alert to create a safety program to ensure that their drivers stay safe on the road. However, a lot of companies and businesses have yet to create a potentially life-saving program like this.

To further convince business owners of why they need a driving safety program, look at the following benefits:

• You will reduce the chances that one of your employees will suffer a debilitating injury, and you will reduce the chances that one of your employees will die on the job.
• You will protect the financial resources of your company by preventing injuries that result in employee shortages and protecting your fleet of automobiles from costly damage.
• You will protect your company from becoming liable for safety failures related to car accidents. This kind of liability could result in a serious financial setback for your form, or result in increased insurance premiums in the event of an accident.

When creating a driver safety program, you will want to focus on changing the attitudes of your drivers, so that they adopt a “be safe” culture on the road, and also between themselves. Teach your employees safe driving practices and reward them when they exhibit safety-conscious behavior.

As for drivers who suffer a serious injury while driving a vehicle on-the-job, they will have the opportunity to pursue a workers’ compensation claim to receive money to pay for their medical care. They may also secure money as compensation for lost income due to time spent out of work.

Source: OSHA, “Guidelines for Employers to Reduce Motor Vehicle Crashes,” accessed Dec. 22, 2017