Get Your Injured Employees Back toWork from Page 41


• Decreases loss ratio and experience modifiers, which help control premiumcosts.


• Maintains productivity and profitability. • Saves wage costs for substitute employees.


Benefits to Employer – Indirect Savings


• Retains productivity of skilled and experienced workers. • Creates continuity of company business. • Removes expenses associated with recruiting, hiring and training replacement workers.


• Reduces lost production time or product. • Develops a safety net to avoid dishonest or exaggerated claims.


Benefits to Employees


• Shortens recovery time. • Provides ameans to remain active and engaged.


DrivingWhile Distracted (DWD) Each day, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety


Administration (NHTSA), more than 16 people are killed and 1,300 injured in car accidents caused by those driving while dis- tracted (DWD), which is defined as doing another activity that takes your attention away from driving. Such activities can increase the chance of vehicle crashes. On its dedicated website, Distraction.gov, the U.S. Depart-


ment ofTransportation notes thatDWDaccidents occur regardless of the driving distance. In fact, driving around the corner or when parking a car, people tend to be more casual, they pick up their phones or reach behind the seat. A valet driver can be even


more susceptible due to their surroundings. The nature of a valet is to take and return a cus- tomer’s car in a safe and timely manner. In addition, valets oper- ate in areas where people are walking and getting in and out of other vehicles, and distractions will easily heighten the danger and the possibility of an accident. There are three main types of distraction for drivers, says the


USDOT website: •Visual – taking your eyes off the road. •Manual –taking your hands off the wheel. • Cognitive – taking yourmind off what you are doing. DWD activities include things such as using a cell phone or


texting, eating or drinking, and talking with passengers. Using in- vehicle technologies (such as navigation systems) and portable communication devices can also be sources of distraction.While any of these distractions can endanger the driver and others, text- messaging while driving is especially dangerous because it com- bines all three types of distraction, the USDOT website notes.


How big is the DWD problem? •Texting causes five timesmore accidents than alcohol-relat-


ed incidents. •When asked whether driving feels safer, less safe, or about the same as it did five years ago,more than 1 in 3 drivers say driv-


ing feels less safe today. Distracted driving – cited by 3 out of 10 of these drivers – was the single most common reason given for feeling less safe today, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports on its website, www.cdc.gov/ Motorvehiclesafety/Distracted_Driving/index.html.


How can DWD be prevented? The CDC website notes that: • Many states are enacting laws – such as banning texting


Texting causes five times more accidents than alcohol.


while driving – or using graduated driver licensing systems for teen drivers to help raise aware- ness about the dangers of dis- tracted driving and to keep it fromoccurring. • On Oct. 1, 2009, President


Obama issued an executive order prohibiting federal employees from texting while driving on


government business or with government equipment. • In January 2010, the FederalMotor Carrier SafetyAdminis-


tration enacted an interim ban that prohibits commercial vehicle drivers fromtextingwhile behind thewheel. InMarch 2010, a pro- posed rule was announced that would make that ban stronger and more durable. •TheUSDOT has launched a national campaign to encourage


the public to get involved in ending distracted driving. “Put It Down”


(www.distraction.gov/campaign-tools/index.html)


focuses on the key NHTSA messages that drivers can’t do two things at once, and that everyone has a personal responsibility to pay attention while behind the wheel. If your organization does not already have a policy in place


specific to the new technologies in today’s society, this is one way to raise the awareness of your drivers.


Kathy Phillips, CIC, CPP, is First Vice President of Alliant Insurance Services. She can be reached at kphillips@alliantinsurance.com.


PT FEBRUARY 2011 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com 43


• Continues employment. • Eliminates or reduces associated stress, boredom and depression.


• Reduces disruption to employees and employees’ families lives.


• Helps to keep employees physically fit and prevent muscle atrophy.


• Maintains company benefits and seniority. • Retains job skills. • Preserves independence and feelings displacement are alleviated.


• Minimizes pain and suffering. • Promotes overall wellness.


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