Protect Driving Workers with a Road Safety Program

April is National Distracted Driving Month in the US. And May 15-21 is National Road Safety Week in Canada. So now is a good time to think about the hazards that your workers face when they’re on the road.

If your workers drive as part of their jobs, it’s critical that you have road safety policies and practices in place to ensure their safety while on the road. Motor vehicle incidents are a leading cause of work-related injuries and deaths. For example, 20 to 30% of all motor vehicle crashes in developed countries involve someone at work.

An effective way to protect workers while driving on the job is through a road safety program. But when we recently asked if your company has such a program:

• Only 44% said yes
• 33% said no
• And 22% said it only has a distracted driving policy.

OHS Insider Resources

The OHS Insider has resources to help you develop or improve a road safety program and understand your liability for workers’ traffic accidents, including:

• Road Safety Program Audit Form
• Road Safety Data Collection Checklist
• Cases on an employer’s liability for traffic and mobile equipment accidents
• An explanation of an employer’s liability for car accidents caused by exhausted workers at the end of their shifts.

For resources that can help you protect workers from distracted driving, go the OHS Insider’s Cell Phone and Other Electronic Devices Compliance Center, where you’ll find:

• a Distracted Driving Infographic
• a Model Distracted Driving Policy
• a Music Device Policy
• Special Report: How to Control Employee Use of Cell Phones & Texting
• Cell Phones: The On- and Off-Site Hazards and How to Control Them.