Traffic deaths have jumped by 14 percent from the same period in 2014. Injuries are up even more. We dig into the National Safety Council’s data on the causes.
During the first six months of 2015, road fatalities have really increased in the US. Injuries skyrocketed by 30 percent in the same period.
In this podcast, Dan Clark explains the research findings, and how workers need to be more vigilant during on-the-job driving.
TRANSCRIPT:
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Dan Clark: Traffic deaths and injuries have spiked in 2015 fatalities are up 14 percent. Injuries up 30 percent since a year ago the two reasons why in a moment.
Hello, I’m Dan Clark of The Safety Brief, tackling health and safety hazards in today’s demanding industrial and construction worksites, a service of Creative Safety Supply. Go to creativesafetysupply.com use coupon code BIG10. It saves you 10 percent.
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The National Safety Council just released a report on traffic accidents comparing the first half of 2014 to the same period this year, 2015. From January till June, deaths are up 14 percent, to almost 19,000. Accident injuries are up a whopping 30 percent, to 2.2 million.
The Council claims two factors: improved economy and cheaper gas prices.
1. The improved economy means more people have jobs. More jobs means more people on the road commuting and driving for work.
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2. Gas prices. They’re 30 percent lower than the same time during 2014. Lower fuel costs automatically translate to more driving. Drivers travel farther for work. They travel farther for personal trips, including vacations.
With roads and highways more crowded, drivers in construction and industry need to be more cautious. Well, of course. Roads are less safe.
To help ensure safety, The National Safety Council recommends drivers:
○ Buckle up.
○ Get sleep and take regular breaks.
○ No cell phones behind the wheel. Hands-free is not risk-free.
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You know the drill. Pay attention out there. The playground’s a lot more crowded now. It’s a lot easier to bump heads.
That’s all for this episode, Traffic Deaths Spike For 2 Big Reasons. Come back for more ways to stay safety compliant in today’s ever-changing landscape of safety requirements. I’m Dan Clark of The Safety Brief, a service of Creative Safety Supply. Save 10 percent off your entire order at creativesafetysupply.com with coupon code BIG10.
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OSHA offers this employer guide to reduce motor vehicle crashes.
head-on impact accident image US Government Accountability Office; graph by Pixabay / ClkerFreeVectorImages; side impact accident image Pixabay / OpenClipArtVectors; broken glass Morguefile / krosseel; screenshot of news story © ℗ 2015 National Safety Council; EMT rescue by Morguefile / click
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