Alcohol use is involved in 40% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes, representing an average of one alcohol-related fatality every 30 minutes. Let that sink in. Every 30 minutes.
It is estimated that three in every 10 Americans will be involved in an impaired driving-related crash some time in their life, another startling statistic that can impact the employer, employees and family members.
Alcohol, certain prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and illegal drugs can all affect a person’s ability to drive safely due to decreased alertness, concentration, coordination and reaction time.
Businesses pay a high price for alcohol and drug abuse; alcohol is a contributing factor in 39% of all work-related traffic crashes.
Road safety programs can reduce the costs of crashes and also can lower the average number of crashes. Investing in road safety can reduce your crash rate by 50% or more.
The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety produced an excellent resource: Cost of Motor Vehicle Crashes to Employers—2015. The report shows traffic crashes cost employers $47.4 billion in 2013.
— Lisa Robinson is a senior program manager with the National Safety Council