Safety Speaker John Drebinger’s Newsletter Protecting Yourself and Your Employees From Distracted Drivers
Many states have laws that now prohibit texting while driving and also require drivers using cellular phones to do so only in hands-free mode. I don’t know about your part of the world, but in sunny California, I have counted occasionally and more than 80% of the drivers on the roads I travel are holding their cellular phone. If your employees think the roads are safer because of the new laws they would be wrong. In fact, an unintended consequence of the no texting laws is unlike the truck driver I encountered, most texters now hold the phone on their lap to avoid being spotted by the police. They don’t even have the road in their peripheral vision!What Can We Do?
In one of my favorite safety presentations, “Ensure Your Safety” I encourage people to take personal responsibility for their own safety. They need to do this because most of the rest of the world isn’t focused on safety as is your company. The highway is certainly where you have to watch out for your own safety. I tell many audiences when I drive I assume the drivers around me are texting. When I am deciding to pass someone I watch their eyes in their rear-view mirror. If I see them looking down it is a good bet they are distracted. Being aware of this may change my decision to pass or cause me to move two lanes over before I do pass. Because of all the distracted driving now I look closely in both directions when a signal changes, allowing me to go through an intersection. I’m looking for the driver who is distracted and hasn’t even seen the light change. Just three days ago, I avoided a collision with a driver who just blew through a red light. I had begun to pull forward and stopped as I saw them approaching. Their passengers looked right at me as they realized, after the fact, the driver had run the red light. Fortunately for them, I was driving defensively or they would have been hit directly by my vehicle.The Safest Place Is When You Are At Work
As a motivational safety speaker I remind employees it is getting more and more dangerous out there every day. Until we figure a way to motivate people to drive safely and think of others safety, we must watch out for ourselves. Because not everyone is involved in an active safety culture more injuries occur off the job than on the job. When you want a message of personal responsibility delivered to your employees for your next safety stand down, safety meeting, or safety training give Diane Weiss a call at 209-745-9419.Until next week,
I’ll be, “Watching Out For Everyone’s Safety™”
John
Each week, I will highlight one of my many safety presentations available for a variety of safety meetings. As I mentioned in this week’s article my presentation, “Ensure Your Safety” MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE focuses on making sure everyone takes personal responsibility for their own safety. I even point out to your employees by choosing to work for a company which holds safety as a value and has a great safety culture, they are taking personal responsibility for their own safety. Also, this is the only one of John’s safety presentations Available on DVD (CLICK HERE)
As a result of John’s “Ensure Your Safety” presentation…
Your employees will:
- Take personal responsibility for their own safety;
- Recognize and handle distractions safely;
- Know how to refocus when distractions occur;
- Avoid shortcuts to protect themselves and the safety of the new employee;
- Use personal protective equipment whenever appropriate;
- Create a positive association between safety and their job;
- Understand how working safely directly benefits them; and
- Work safely because they want to, not because it’s a rule.
To find out more call Diane Weiss at 209-745-9419 and schedule a date for John to visit your site. Watch a one minute VIDEO PREVIEW of “Ensure Your Safety” CLICK HERE
In the next couple of weeks, we will be changing our shopping cart. This will only effect you if you happen to attempt an order on the actual day the switch is made. If you are having any difficulty with an order, please contact Sandie Gilbert at 209-747-2770 and she can help you.
Visual Client List
As I mentioned last week, there have been many changes on my website. One of them is what I call a Visual Client List. I have included it in this week’s newsletter. I am very grateful for all of you who have allowed me to be “Watching Out For Everyone’s Safety™” by sharing my message of watching out for the safety of others. If you haven’t had me at your site in the past couple of years, I have new material your employees will enjoy and will help them watch out for their safety and the safety of people around them. Give Diane a call at 209-745-9419 (If you receive this newsletter as a text email you can go to: http://www.drebinger.com/visual-client-list-with-logos/ and see the logos.)
