I’m embarrassed to admit, but my commute can make me a little crazy. I live about 45 minutes away from my place of work, and I’ll be darned if I’m going to waste my time driving. At 7:00 in the morning, I get on the freeway; join the fleet of cars on their way to work, and am ready to start the day. I’m not going to admit to any of the following, but here a few things a driver (not mentioning any names) may do on their way to or from work:
- Get a coffee and drink it
- Get a pastry and eat it
- Listen to voicemail
- Make a couple calls
- Find a good channel on the radio
- Change the climate control more than once
Which of the above is unsafe? ALL OF IT! I tell my friends I am a safe driver, but after I compiled that list, I think it is safe to say that I have a very long way to go. Fortunately, this week is Drive Safely Work Week, sponsored by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS). This organization is an employer-led partnership dedicated to improving the safety and health of employees, their families, and members of the community where they live and work by preventing traffic crashes both on and off the job. Their theme for 2012 is “Back to Basics: Your Keys to Safe Driving.”
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, it’s estimated that one in every four crashes involves a driver talking or texting on a cell phone. That’s an alarming statistic and makes me think twice about safely driving to and from work. The campaign isn’t only for drivers; this week also focuses on passengers, cyclists and pedestrians. It also highlights how employers can get involved and focus on training for employees.
Did you know that even a small action can have a huge effect on employees and others? Some key points for driving safely are:
- Just changing your voicemail to reflect you can’t take a call because you are driving can make a difference. When a caller hears it, maybe they’ll try doing the same.
- When transporting passengers, the visible act of silencing or turning off your mobile phone and stowing it in the glove box may send a message that results in your passengers emulating you the next time they are driving.
- The simple question, “are you driving?” when you make a call to someone’s mobile phone followed by discontinuing the call until later, if the answer is “yes”, sends the message that you value their safety. Maybe they’ll do the same next time they make a call to a mobile phone.
Those are all great ideas. For more, NETS offers a great packet for a Drive Safely campaign for employees and employers.
As an insurance company, safety is important to us and this is a great program to employers to consider. If you are looking for insurance for those drives to and from work, locate a Foremost agency to learn more about our automobile insurance.
