Take nothing for granted

The National Safety Council found that in 2018 an estimated 40,000 people across our country lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes. Hundreds of thousands more sustained injuries, many of them permanent. Will 2022 be any different? Unfortunately, we see few signs of progress.

The full magnitude of this national crisis does not stop at 40,000. With each life lost, dozens of other lives are changed forever. In an instant, happily married folks become widows or widowers, parents lose their children, children become orphans, lifelong friendships and partnerships come to an excruciating end. It’s sad, frustrating, even maddening to consider that ALL these tens of thousands of incidents — every single one — can be prevented. What causes them and how to prevent them is no mystery at all.

The challenge of going from 40,000 to zero lost lives calls for mindset renewal, which means embracing safety not just as a priority but as an obsession — in all settings and at all times. Always insist that all passengers buckle up in every seat. According to the Motor Vehicle Safety division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this reduces the risk of death and injury by nearly 50%.

Even though the training your drivers initially received (by family or friends) may have been sufficient for them to get a driver’s license, it probably did not cover the issues you want them to know in order for them to drive for your organization. A good driver training program will enhance your drivers with the knowledge and skills for them to be a safe driver.

This is crucial for all new drivers. But training must not stop there. All of your drivers should be provided with on-going driver education. Your organization should provide recurring, ongoing, refresher and even remedial training to ensure your drivers receive information that stress the importance of driver safety. A good driver training program provides useful driving information that will help your drivers develop favorable defensive driving attitudes and techniques to avoid accidents.

Like most new drivers, the euphoria of driving their first car can sometimes lead to being irresponsible when it comes to driving . It was around 1:00 PM and I was driving through an exit wet road with two of my younger cousins. The road we were on had also just been recently graded and was extremely slippery. I think I was driving at about 35 mph along the exit as my Toyota matrix started to skid. Bear in mind that I was fairly inexperienced when it came to driving, so my instincts were to panic, while trying to diffuse the commotion from the screaming voices from my younger cousins. I was quite lucky that there were rails on the right side of the road that prevented us from going into a deep end.

Many vehicle accidents that occur have similar causes, and the real tragedy is that many of those are preventable. A good driver training program can provide defensive driving instruction and discussions of accident types and can reduce the likelihood of an accident occurring. Additionally, having knowledge of road safety can prevent many of the dangers of the road and make the roads safer for everyone.

The challenge of going from 40,000 to zero lost lives calls for mindset renewal, which means embracing safety not just as a priority but as an obsession — in all settings and at all times. Always insist that all passengers buckle up in every seat. According to the Motor Vehicle Safety division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this reduces the risk of death and injury by nearly 50%.

Never get behind the wheel if you’re impaired by alcohol or other drugs. Always err on the side of caution, keeping in mind that even a single drink can compromise your ability to drive safely. Remember, even medication prescribed by a doctor can also be impairing.

Never think that being on time for a meeting or social engagement is worth risking your life and the lives and safety of others. Always drive at a speed that you are 100% confident is safe. Never determine a safe driving speed based solely on the road signs or other drivers. Always consider the conditions. Never overestimate your ability to multitask. If you think a text message or phone call might be too important to wait, get off the road and bring your car to a full and safe stop. The myth that hands-free phone conversations are safe is erroneous; more than one study has shown they are on par with drunk driving.