As an employer, you can help save lives by promoting safe driving on and off the job. Reducing incidences of impaired driving can be a profitable investment. But how do you promote sober driving among your staff? Here are a few ideas:
- Announce your commitment to sober driving on and off the job: Introduce your policy and remind your employees that it’s against the law to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Tell them you are enacting this policy as a way to ensure you have the safest workplace you can.
- Create a 12-month safety calendar and publicize your safety events: There are multiple resources online to help you develop your own workplace safety calendar if you don’t have one already. You can promote sober driving anytime of the year, but especially good times are before holidays and when celebrations are likely. You can also support state and national education programs.
- Offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): Encourage employees and dependents who have problems with alcohol and other drugs to seek help through EAPs and drug-free workplace programs. These programs can benefits your company resulting in lower medical costs, reduced turnover and absenteeism and higher morale.
- Use materials provided by Our Driving Concern. You can use posters, fact sheets, safety huddle sheets, coaching cards, Toilet Tabloids, and several other resources provided at no cost by Our Driving Concern. Replace them frequently so your employees continually see new information.
- Hold an end-of-year recognition event: Reward your employees for their safe driving efforts. Present awards to those with the best driving records and to those who help organize safety events throughout the year. Publicly thank all employees for their safe driving behaviors on and off the job.
— Lisa Robinson is a senior program manager with the National Safety Council