Driving Safety

On-the-job driving hazards and controls

October, 2010
 Topics covered in this module
1. Driving fatalities and injuries

2. Safe driving tips

3. Distracted driving

4. Driver fatigue

5. Pedestrian safety

6. Work zone safety

7. Defensive driving Image courtesy of WSDOT

8. Driving behavior/aggressive driving

9. Laws, regulations and additional information

 Introduction to the Importance of
SAFE DRIVING
Each year there are more than 40,000 deaths
nationwide related to motor vehicle crashes

In Washington State, the most

frequent work-related fatality is
from motor vehicle crashes (22 %)

What is not in the statistics are the

countless family members, friends,
and co-workers grieving the loss of
someone they were close to
Image courtesy of Education for the Driving Masses
 UNSAFE DRIVING
On Washington public roadways between 2004 and 2008
there were 640,364 total collisions, 2679 fatal collisions, and
11,725 serious injury collisions.

In 2009, there were 1663

worker compensation claims
where workers were injured in
highway accidents. Costs for
these claims was $20 million.

Work-related motor vehicle crash fatalities in Washington State, 1998-2007

Annual Collision Data - Washington State Department of Transportation

 Unsafe Driving
Top three causes of motor vehicle accidents
 Distracted or inattentive driving
 Speeding
 Impairment (drugs or alcohol)
Washington State impaired driving fact sheet
Other causes : Wikimedia Commons

 Failing to yield
 No signal when turning
 Running a stop sign
 Driving left of center
 Wrong turns
 Following too closely Image courtesy of Fancy Images – Royalty Free
 High Risk Areas
Many accidents occur at these locations:
Major Highways (merge lanes, congested traffic)
Parking Lots
Railroad Crossings
Work Zones
School Zones
 Does your company have a safe driver program?

Many motor vehicle crashes occur during

the workday or during the commute to and
from work. Employers bear the cost for
injuries that occur both on and off the job.

Whether you manage a fleet of vehicles,

oversee a mobile sales force or simply Image courtesy of Creative Commons

employ commuters, by implementing a

driver safety program in the workplace you
can greatly reduce the risks faced by your
employees and their families while
protecting your company's bottom line.

OSHA Guidelines for Employers to Reduce Motor Vehicle Crashes

 Personal Responsibility

Not only is it the employer’s responsibility to

enforce safe driving policies for their workers,
it is a personal responsibility to improve driving
behaviors.

It is a public safety issue and has a huge

economic impact.
 Basic Safe Driving Tips

Basic rules to follow:

 Wear seatbelts
 Drive the speed limit
 Obey traffic signs and stop lights
 Use turn signals
 Do not tailgate
Drivers should be extra cautious and alert :
• at peak times of the day when • at crosswalks
there are more people • at railroad crossings
• when children are present • during poor weather
• when driving through a worksite conditions
• at entrances and exits, including • when driving at night
driveways
Top 5 things to know about buckling up
 Vehicle Safety Inspections
Inspect your vehicle regularly to make sure the
following are in good shape:
 Tires (including spare)
 Horn
 Lights
 Windshield and wipers
 Mirrors
 Brakes
 Heating
 Seatbelts
 Fluids
 First aid/roadside safety kit Image courtesy of Creative Commons

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - Tire Safety

Distracted Driving

Image courtesy of Florida Today, by Jeff Parker

 Distracted Driving & Inattentive Behavior
Nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in crashes involving
a distracted driver, and more than half a million were
injured. (Source: National Traffic Safety Administration)
Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to
get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.
(Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
The temptation for drivers to text and use cell phones has made
it difficult to minimize road fatalities.

Please do your part to control the number of fatalities and injuries.

PAY ATTENTION DRIVERS

Image courtesy of Drivers Ed Guru
 Cell Phones are a Driving Distraction

A driver’s first responsibility is the

safe operation of the vehicle.

If you are distracted by a phone

conversation, you are putting
yourself at risk of a collision, and
possibly endangering others.

Texting While Driving – How Dangerous is it?

(from Car & Driver Magazine)

Distracted Driving Website: Distraction.gov

 Cell Phones are a Driving Distraction
Alternatives:
 Turn off cell phone while driving
 Pull off to the side of the road to make important calls

NOTE: Hands – free devices are safer than holding a

phone, however, that does not diminish the dialing
distraction and inability to focus completely on driving
during a conversation

Image courtesy of clipartof.com

 Cell Phones: Alternatives and Exceptions

Alternatives
 Bluetooth
 Voice-activated and speed dialing
 Push-to-Talk devices (radio) Image courtesy of Ryder Safety Solutions

 Voice mail and Caller ID answer caller

until getting to safe destination

Exceptions:
 Emergencies – calling law enforcement for assistance
 Reporting road hazards to the authorities
 Notifying the authorities of erratic driver
Note: Before using for emergency, determine if the call can be made safely.
Portable Electronic Equipment Policy
Example policy verbiage (L & I employee policy):

“Use of portable electronic equipment, including, but not

limited to, cell phones (including hands-free), text pagers,
Blackberries and other PDAs, electronics, and laptop
computers, is prohibited at any time while driving any vehicle
on work business, except in an emergency situation where
911 is called.
Voice activated Global Positioning Units (GPS) are
acceptable. However any input of these devices must be
done prior to driving.
Supervisors will train employees on safe and acceptable
alternatives to using electronic equipment while driving.”
 Driver Fatigue

According to the National Highway Transportation

Safety Administration (NHTSA) at least 100,000
police reported crashes are the direct result of
driver fatigue each year.

Result = 1,550 deaths and 71,000 injuries

Image courtesy of American Public University, Shift Work Disorder news bulletin
 Drivers Need to Stay Alert

Take action to ensure you are driving alert:

1. Make lifestyle changes; diet, exercise, plenty of rest
2. Don’t rely on “quick fixes” that may not work. Avoid
regular use of alcohol, smoking, caffeine
3. Stop if you need to. Take a nap or brisk walk outside.

Image courtesy of AllRefer.com Health

 Pedestrians vs. Motorists
In the United States, between 1997 and 2007, there were
53,793 pedestrian fatalities.

In Washington State between 2004 - 2008 there were a total

of 332 pedestrian fatalities.

Important safety reminder: Image courtesy of WSP

Drivers are required to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians

crossing streets in marked or unmarked crosswalks in most
situations.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – Pedestrian Safety

 Pedestrians vs. Motorists
Safety Tips
 Don’t assume the pedestrian sees you
 Move carefully when lighting is poor and look around the
vehicle prior to accelerating
 If vision is obstructed, be especially slow when making a turn
 Be aware that parking lots may have missing stop signs or
faded traffic lane stripes due to lack of maintenance
 Collisions Involving Children and Motorists
In 2008, one in every five children between the ages of 5
and 9 killed in traffic accidents were pedestrians. (NHTSA)
Most common types of collisions between
children and motorists are due to:
1. Child darting out into the street at a
corner or mid-block
2. Vehicle turns into the path of a child
3. Child hidden from view by a service or
delivery truck
4. Child hidden from view by a bus – driver
does not stop for bus
5. Vehicle backing up in roadways,
driveways, or parking lots
 Work Zone Safety

What is a “work zone” ?

A work zone is an area of roadway with construction,

maintenance, or utility work activities. A work zone is
typically marked by signs, channelizing devices, barriers,
pavement markings, and/or work vehicles. It extends
from the first warning sign or rotating/strobe lights on a
vehicle to the “End of Road Work” sign or the last
temporary traffic control device.

Workzone accident case reports

Images courtesy of WSDOT

 Work Zone Safety

Image courtesy of Fotosearch – Royalty Free

Drivers generally don’t think they are at risk in work zones.

– Unfortunately, Washington averages almost 1,000 highway work
zone injuries each year.
- 99 percent the people injured or killed in work zone collisions are
drivers and their passengers.
- Most injuries and deaths in work zones are caused by rear-end
collisions.
- Inattentive drivers are not prepared for sudden slow downs and last
minute lane changes in work zones.

Washington State Department of Transportation - Give 'em a BRAKE

 Work Zone Safety Tips

 Do not speed in work zones; obey the posted speed limits.

 Stay alert! Expect the unexpected.
 Watch for workers; drive with caution.
 Don't change lanes unnecessarily.
 Avoid using mobile phones while driving in work zones.
 Turn on headlights so that workers and other drivers can
see you.
 Be especially alert at night while driving in work zones.
 Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
 Allow ample space between you and the car in front of you.
 Anticipate lane shifts, and merge when directed to do so.
 Be patient!
 Defensive Driving
Defensive driving involves the cultivation of good habits,
maintaining attention and a thoughtful, cooperative attitude.
A defensive driver learns to anticipate the actions of others.
PLAN YOUR ESCAPE ROUTE
Important Defensive Driving Skills:
o Make good decisions based on factors like road conditions,
traffic conditions, and weather
o Evasive maneuvering
o Proper hand placement and seating position
o Skid control
o Steering and braking techniques
o Understand your vehicle’s dynamics

If you haven’t had training, attend a defensive driving course.

 Defensive Driving
Key Points
 Keep space in front of your vehicle to allow
time to stop. At 60 mph, a vehicle travels 88
feet per second. In the ¾ of a second it
takes to put your foot on the brake, you’ve
gone 66 feet—180 to 220 feet before you
stop! If you speed or tailgate, by the time Image courtesy of WA Traffic Safety Commission

you SEE a problem, you’re out of luck!

 Speed management - as speed of your

vehicle increases so does the severity of an
accident.

 Know your vehicle’s blind spots to avoid a

potential collision.
 Behavior Behind the Wheel – “ATTITUDE”
There are various aspects of driving that act as stressors, and
frequently impact many motorists’ state of mind and driving ability:

1. Immobility 9. Denying our mistakes

2. Constriction 10. Cynicism
3. Regulation 11. Loss of objectivity
4. Lack of control 12. Venting
5. Being put in danger 13. Unpredictability
6. Territoriality 14. Ambiguity
7. Diversity 15. Undertrained in
8. Multi-tasking emotional intelligence
 Behavior Behind the Wheel – “ATTITUDE”
Driver behavior shown below as skills and errors in
three behavioral areas
SKILLS (+)
AFFECTIVE (+A) COGNITIVE (+C) SENSORIMOTOR (+S)
I've got to be careful This person looks like (Gesticulating and
here. Don't want to cut he's in a hurry to get in. smiling:) Go ahead. You
anybody off. I better let him in. go first.
ERRORS (-)
AFFECTIVE (-A) COGNITIVE (-C) SENSORIMOTOR (S)
I wish I could give that I don't think people like (Yelling:) "You stupid
guy a piece of my mind. that should be allowed idiot, why don't you
on the road. watch where you're
going!"

"Why is Driving Stressful" - Taxonomy of Driving Behavior

Behavior Behind the Wheel – “ATTITUDE”
Avoid Aggressive Behavior and Become a Supportive Driver
Stage 1--Avoiding Being an Aggressive Driver
 Affective Level - Overcoming my resistance to change
 Cognitive Level - Learning to do rational analyses of
traffic incidents
 Sensorimotor Level - Acting out civil behavior

Stage 2--Becoming a Supportive Driver

 Affective Level - Maintaining a supportive orientation
towards other drivers
 Cognitive Level - Analyzing driving situations
objectively
 Sensorimotor Level - Behaving like a happy person

Encourage drivers to practice self observation behind the wheel and keep a record
 Washington State Patrol
The Washington State Patrol has a number of webpages
covering information on driving laws, road rage/aggressive
drivers, secured loads and traffic enforcement.

Driver and Vehicle - WSP

Road Rage and Aggressive Driving

Driver Safety – Rules of the Road

Enforcement – Target Zero

Secured Loads

Click on the link below to watch the WSP aggressive driving enforcement video
http://www.wsp.wa.gov/information/video/aggressive_driving.asx
Washington Department of Transportation

WSDOT's Traffic Operations Division is using a number of

tools to manage the highways better, safer and more
efficiently. Operating efficiently means taking steps to
smooth traffic flows and avoid, or reduce, situations that
constrict roads. Much of this is done using traffic
technology, such as electronic tolling, traffic management
centers, traffic cameras, variable message signs and ramp
meters. These solutions make drivers better able to adapt
to changing circumstances and unforeseen events.
WSDOT Traffic Operations Safety Webpage
 Washington State Traffic Laws (Rules of the Road)

The Washington State Legislature has adopted a number of laws

related to traffic and driving safety that cover such topics as:
- Passing on the roadway
- Right of way
RCW 46.61 -
- Pedestrians’ rights and duties
Rules of the Road
- Turning, starting, stopping
- Speed restrictions
- Reckless driving
- Driving under the influence
- Vehicular homicide and assault
 Additional Resources

American Driver & Traffic Safety Education Association

Washington Traffic Safety Commission

Department of Licensing – Driving records

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Washington Operation Lifesaver – safety at railroad crossings

AAA Foundation for Highway Safety

Center for Disease Control & Prevention – motor vehicle safety

 More Resources

Speeding over 100 MPH causes fatal collision

TeenLiveDrive.com

Images courtesy of Free.Foto - Shutterstock