A recent survey of two major companies with locations nationwide found that 40 percent of their workers had been affected by a motor vehicle crash within the previous 12 months. According to the internal survey by AAA and Nationwide Insurance, employees lost an average of 5.3 hours because of crashes involving themselves, family members or close friends. In addition to actual lost time, most also reported that the quality of their work suffered. The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) notes that whether employees drive for work or just to and from work, traffic crashes pose a major risk to all employers.

“It’s evident that in addition to the personal tragedy to employers, employees and their families, traffic crashes impact the bottom line,” said Tom Walsh, former corporate health and safety director for United Parcel Service and Chairman of NETS. “But initiating traffic safety through the workplace also is an employee-relations opportunity. Teaching employees to drive safely—both on and off the job—not only saves the organization money, it demonstrates that you care about their safety and well-being.”

To focus attention on traffic safety education at work, NETS is sponsoring the fourth annual Drive Safely Work Week campaign, September 11-15, 2000. The campaign focuses on a different key issue each day of the week. The themes are:
Buckle Up! Emphasizes all aspects of occupant protection including the proper use of safety belts, child car seats and air bags.
Courtesy Counts Focuses on how to steer clear of aggressive drivers and avoid becoming one yourself by staying cool when the roads heat up.
Who’s Driving? Driver inattention is the contributing factor in as many as 90 percent of traffic crashes. Materials on this topic highlight the common causes of distraction and provide tips to help keep the driver focused on driving and on looking out for the driver who isn’t!
Give ‘Em Some Space Educates drivers on how to coexist safely with trucks and other large vehicles while on the road.
Steer With a Clear Head Provides ammunition for the battle to reduce impaired driving caused by alcohol, stress and even over-the-counter and prescription drugs.

To help make it easy for you to participate in this campaign, Minnesota NETS can provide free materials on a number of these topics as well as a low-cost ($25) “tool kit” from NETS that covers all of the themes and contains ideas for activities, traffic safety tips, camera-ready artwork and more. To order materials, contact Lisa Kons, Minnesota NETS coordinator, at 651-228-7330 or 800-444-9150; e-mail: kons@mnsafetycouncil.org.

Take a look at samples of materials on our Web site.

A 55 mph collision with a solid object is over quickly, but it isn’t over easy!

0:00.1 seconds
The front bumper and grill of your car collapse as the vehicle makes contact with a stationary solid object.

0:00.2 seconds
The hood crumples, striking windshield; rear wheels lift from ground, fenders wrap around object. Car frame has halted, but your unrestrained body is still going 55 mph. Legs stiffen against the crash and snap at the knee joint.

0:00.3 seconds
The steering wheel starts to disintegrate as your chest is propelled toward the steering column.

0:00.4 seconds
Two feet of the car’s front end is wrecked. The rear end still moves at 35 mph and your body continues traveling at 55 mph.

0:00.5 seconds
You are impaled on the steering column and blood rushes into your lungs.

0:00.6 seconds
The impact builds, ripping your feet from tightly laced shoes. The brake pedals come off. The car frame buckles in the middle. Your head smashes into the windshield as the rear wheels, still spinning, fall back to earth.

0:00.7 seconds
Hinges rip loose, doors open, and your seat breaks free, striking you from behind.

The last three-tenths of a second mean nothing to you because you are now dead.

Safety belts, air bags when used with a safety belt, and properly installed child safety seats are your best protection against death or injury in a crash.

Did You Know?

• Every 14 seconds someone in the U.S. is injured in a traffic crash, and every 12 minutes someone is killed.
• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children 5 to 14. An average of eight children are killed and more than 900 are injured in crashes every day.
• Safety belts reduce the chance of injury or death in a crash by 45 percent and save nearly 10,000 lives each year.
• Children who are properly secured in safety seats survive three quarters of the crashes that otherwise would have been fatal.

Safety Check

• Properly wear your safety belt. The shoulder strap should cross the collarbone and fit snugly. The lap belt should be low and tight.
• Protect your child correctly. “The Back is Where It’s At” for children 12 and under. Use a rear-facing seat for children under a year and who weigh less than 20 pounds. Use a forward-facing seat for children who are a year or more and who weigh 20 to 40 pounds. Use a booster seat for children who weigh 40+ pounds until they are big enough to use a safety belt.
• Child safety seats are not always compatible with all rear seating positions in vehicles. Read the vehicle owner’s manual and the instructions for the child safety seat carefully.

What About Air Bags?

• In frontal crashes, air bags only provide supplemental protection.
• Air bags have a good safety record and are credited with saving more than 2,600 lives.
• Most tragedies involving air bags can be prevented if air bags are used in combination with a safety belt and if children under 12 are properly restrained in the rear seat.
• Drivers should hold the steering wheel at the three and nine o’ clock positions or slightly lower. In the event that a crash occurs and the airbag deflates, this reduces the likelihood that the driver’s hands will be forced off the wheel.

Deactivation
Should air bags be deactivated? No, unless you meet the following criteria:

• The driver cannot sit 10 to 12 inches from the steering wheel and air bag module and drive the car safely.
• The driver and/or passenger has one of several medical conditions.
• The driver must transport children under 12 in the front seat because the car has no back seat or because of a car-pool situation.