Dear safety group member September, 2018
The Road to Perdition: Traffic Deaths Reach Record Highs
Driving on public roads in 2018 seems to be increasingly dangerous due to more vehicles
driving more miles, driven by people who speed, change lanes without warning, tailgate, and in
general act as if they own the road. This risky behavior, of course, has its costs as the accident
rates have climbed dramatically in recent years.
The National Safety Council reports that, although traffic deaths declined slightly in 2017 (down
1% from 2016), the two-year period (2016-2017) witnessed the steepest jump in traffic fatalities
in 50 years with a total of 80,421 recorded deaths. Moreover, approximately 4.57 million
people injured in a vehicle accident needed medical attention at a cost of 413.8 billion dollars.
What factors may be causing to this phenomenon, especially considering vehicle safety features
and equipment have never been better? Some experts point to the following excuses used by
unsafe drivers:
The rules do not apply to me
Everyone around me is driving recklessly so why shouldn’t I?
I have “road rage” tendencies or I don’t want to be a victim of road rage
My superior driving skills will help me avoid trouble (leading to overconfidence)
I want to finish ahead of the other guy (competitiveness) and love driving fast
I use drugs or alcohol but am still able to drive my car safely
I am very tired, but this condition will not affect my driving
Employers who have vehicles or fleets of vehicles should be alarmed by this trend since
workers’ compensation (WC) claims and costs have increased substantially in recent years.
According to a report released on August 8, 2018 by the National Council on Compensation
Insurance (NCCI), motor vehicle accidents (MVA’s) in 2016 comprised almost 6% of all WC
claims and approximately 12% of total losses. More than 40% of fatality claims filed between
2011 and 2016 were MVA related.
September, 2018
June 7, 2013 Vol #1 Issue #
1
HAMOND GROUP
The report’s authors, Jim Davis and Delano Brown, noted that lost-time MVA claims increased
5% between 2011 and 2016 despite the 18% overall drop in claims filed during this period. They
commented that “The recent increase in MVA frequency is a cause for concern since MVA
claims commonly involve far more serious injuries that other claims.” For example, the report
indicates that typical head or brain injury lost-time claim costs average $70,000 but those
associated with a vehicle accident average nearly twice as much at $130,000.
Davis and Brown identified a “striking similarity” between distracted driving trends attributed to
increased use of electronic devices while driving and the spike in MVA’s. According to
insurance industry sources, some employers have taken steps to protect their employees and
control losses. Many have instituted anti-distracted driving policies and action plans. Key
features include:
Implement comprehensive policies that prohibit distracted driving and include imposing
sanctions for employees who violate them.
Install cameras in company vehicles designed to monitor driver behavior.
Require that all trips be accounted for using a global positioning system (GPS)
Investigate emerging technology, called telematics, that record vehicle behavior such as
hard braking and abrupt changes in the vehicle’s direction because of swerving.
Require that employees attend defensive driving and refresher courses periodically.
These measures should be incorporated into the company’s safety program and reviewed
regularly. Now, more than ever, employees must “drive defensively” as they take their vehicles
onto roadways increasingly populated by distracted, discourteous, and aggressive motorists.
Please direct any questions or concerns to:
The Safety Division at Hamond Safety Management
Anthony Vacchio, avacchio@hamondgroup.com 516-762-4224