Yesterday we covered tips for keeping your workers safe when they are in or around golf cart-type vehicles. But your employees are even more at risk on the open road, so today we’ll look at defensive driving training for your workforce.
When you think of work-related safety hazards, you probably think about what goes on inside the workplace. But one of the greatest threats to your employees’ safety is not in the workplace, but rather on the road. Consider these driving-related facts:
- Someone is injured every 18 seconds.
- Over 2 million of those injuries turn out to be disabling.
- A person dies in a crash on U.S. roads every 11 minutes.
- Motor vehicle accidents are the most common cause of death in the United States—more than cancer or heart attacks.
- One in four work fatalities involves a motor vehicle accident.
These statistics are cause for concern. They also underscore the importance of training your employees in defensive driving skills so that they don’t become statistics.
Try a demo of BLR’s remarkable new Employee Training Center at no cost or obligation.
The “Defensive Driving for Noncommercial Motorists” course in BLR’s Employee Training Center offers these tips on how to help keep your employees safe:
Obey Traffic Rules and Use Common Sense.
- Follow the “2 second rule.” That means staying at least 2 seconds behind the vehicle in front of you.
- Signal your intentions. If you’re going to turn or want to change lanes, switch on your turning signal in plenty of time.
- Pass with care and only where allowed. Slow down when being passed if the other vehicle needs room to pass safely.
Keep Alert and Be Prepared.
- Keep your mind on your driving and your hands on the wheel.
- Always look well ahead for changes in traffic or road conditions.
- Keep an eye on what’s going on behind you. Check your mirrors frequently for oncoming vehicles.
- Keep alert for pedestrians, bicyclists, and animals darting out in front of you.
Adjust to Weather and Road Conditions.
- Slow down.
- Turn on your lights and wipers, if necessary.
- Increase following distance from 2 seconds to 4 seconds in bad weather or when road conditions are poor.
- Avoid puddles.
- Be cautious when there is a light, misty rain after a dry spell.
- Beware of icy patches. Remember—bridges, overpasses, and shady spots are most likely to freeze first and stay frozen longest.
Be Extra Careful at Night.
- Start with a clean windshield and clean rear and side windows to improve vision.
- Next, turn your lights on one-half hour before sunset—or earlier if it’s a dark day.
- Increase your following distance to 4 seconds at night.
- Be extra careful on dark curves and at intersections.
- Switch from high to low beams if there’s a car in front of you or one coming toward you.
Other topics in the 24-slide presentation include:
- Driving Safety Statistics
- Driving Hazards: Human Error
- Driving Hazards: Dangerous Conditions
- Seat Belts
- Vehicle Maintenance
- Pre-Drive Inspection
- And many more
The course also includes detailed speaker’s notes and a quiz to make sure your workers get the message.
Bargain Training for Your Most Precious Assets
And “Defensive Driving” is just one of more than 50 safety training courses available in the Employee Training Center. They’re all motivational, actionable programs—for both supervisors and employees—in such key areas as hazard communication, back safety, general workplace safety, bloodborne pathogens, OSHA requirements, and many more. And, what’s more, we add new programs continually.
Unlimited training—one low cost. Demo the new Employee Training Center. There’s no cost or obligation.
Just as important, the Employee Training Center automatically documents training. As trainees sign on, their identifications are automatically registered. And when the program is completed, the trainee’s score is entered. So, when you want to see who has or hasn’t yet trained on any subject, or you want to look at the across-the-board activity of any one employee, it’s all there, instantly available to you, your boss, an inspector—even a plaintiff’s attorney.
The Employee Training Center also includes a similar selection of HR courses—you decide whether you want just the safety courses or both the safety and HR modules.
With budgets tighter than ever, another advantage is that you always know exactly what training will cost, no matter how many programs you use or how many times you use them. There’s just one low annual fee for unlimited training, calculated by the size of your workforce. Budget once and you’re done!
We urge you to sign up for a no-obligation demo by visiting the new Employee Training Center.