Free of Risk
The Fourth of July holiday period is one of the most exciting times of the summer season. We celebrate America’s independence with backyard pool parties and fireworks that light up the night sky. Let’s also celebrate the opportunity to keep each other safe at work and on the road.
Let’s focus on impairment-related safety issues. Here are a few ways you can work to keep your employees and their family members safe this summer.
At Work
Join us for Workplace Impairment Training, delivered virtually or in-person. You’ll be guided through realistic scenarios and practice activities designed to help you recognize and respond to the many types of impairment, including impairment from consumption of alcohol and other drugs, fatigue or mental distress.
Take what you learn back to your location and support worker wellbeing.
On the Road
Help raise awareness of risks associated with drug-impaired and drunk driving. More than 2,225 people were killed in crashes nationwide during the Fourth of July period from 2018-2022, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That’s nearly 450 Fourth of July holiday crash deaths every year.
- Drivers accounted for more than 1,400 of those fatalities
- 39% of those drivers were drunk
Further, a NHTSA study found 26% of drivers seriously injured or killed in crashes in the U.S. from 2019 to 2021 had THC, the mind-altering chemical found in marijuana, in their system.
Encourage everyone on your team to make plans for a safe ride home from Fourth of July events. Designate a sober driver or arrange to be picked up if you’re attending a party where alcohol is served. Impairment begins with the first drink. Share these free resources to increase your public outreach efforts.
- NHTSA: Drug-impaired driving. Drunk driving.
- Video: Change Your World
This year, on the Fourth of July, be sure to light a path forward with safety.
Choose Your Path
As we observe Rural Road Safety Week during the third week of July, Louisiana employers are encouraged to focus on the critical issue of traffic safety in rural areas, particularly concerning impairment-related crashes. Rural roads pose unique dangers, with alcohol and drug impairment being significant contributors. Alarmingly, 43% of alcohol-related motor vehicle deaths occur on rural roads despite only 19% of the U.S. population residing in these areas. In 2022, alcohol was involved in 66.80% of rural fatal crashes in Louisiana.
Rural roads present more threats to drivers due to poor maintenance, lack of lighting and the presence of wildlife like deer. Car crashes are more dangerous because emergency response times are longer and medical facilities are farther away. Higher speed limits and fewer traffic controls also contribute to increased crash severity. When impairment is added to these factors, it is a recipe for disaster and heartbreak. Just two months ago, a driver in rural East Carroll Parish was killed after striking a deer, with impairment and speed as suspected contributing factors.
You can make a significant impact in creating safer roads while protecting your employees, their families and residents in the communities where they live and work. To help raise awareness, consider the following:
- Share the National Center for Rural Road Safety daily social media posts for each day of Rural Road Safety Week on your company’s social media outlets using the hashtag #RRSAW2024.
- Complete this proclamation to share with community leaders and work with them to prioritize rural road safety.
- Review and implement Guidance on Growing Traffic Safety Culture: Stories from Rural Communities.
- Reference the Rural Road Safety Week 2024
By taking these actions, we can work together to improve road safety and reduce impairment-related crashes in rural Louisiana areas.
Survey Says …
New survey findings released by the National Safety Council show it’s not just the U.S. Department of Transportation and traffic safety advocates who support a Safe System Approach to roadway safety – the public does too.
Conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute through a Road to Zero Community Traffic Safety Grant, the survey examined the beliefs of adults in the U.S. related to the Safe System Approach and various safety-related concepts, including roadway use behavior and perceptions of road safety and safety strategies. The survey revealed that most participants recognized the effectiveness of multiple strategies to improve roadway safety under the Safe System Approach.
Another significant takeaway: Most participants agreed with the core principles of the approach such as people make mistakes, and roadway systems should be designed so mistakes are less likely to result in death or serious injury. Three more key findings:
- Three-quarters of participants (74.9%) expressed moderate or great concern about their safety and the safety of family and friends on roads.
- Two-thirds or more of participants supported various strategies addressing safer people, safer roads, safer speeds, safer vehicles and post-crash care.
- Nearly 83% of participants (82.8%) supported their local government doing more to improve the safety of roads in their community.
Learn more: Survey Finds Overwhelming Support for Safe System Approach to Roadway Safety.