These Road Safety Standouts Lead by Example

Cindy Leonard

If you’re looking for proof that transportation safety is good for business and good for people, look no further. Every one of the 2021 Our Driving Concern Texas Employer Traffic Safety Program award recipients can point to policies and procedures they have implemented to save money and save lives.

Let’s take a quick look at some examples:

  • Jetco Delivery’s safe driving policies cover distracted driving and cellphone use, fatigue, speed and drugs and alcohol. DashCam recordings are used as training tools to help drivers learn from watching and seeing the driving habits of others.
  • After implementing an in-car video pilot program, the Port of Corpus Christi Authority experienced an 80% decrease in vehicle incidents from 2019 to 2020. Auto liability claims decreased by 100% and auto physical damage claims decreased by 50%.
  • Shell Exploration and Production Company fleet drivers working in the Permian Basin are required to complete a defensive driver training course. In 2020, Shell experienced an 88.5% reduction in speeding violations.
  • Indeca Crude Xpress trucks are electronically governed to a maximum speed of 65 mph. Safety leaders are sent alerts of infractions via a monitoring system. Driver safety scores have climbed from an average of 97% to 99.2%.
  • Pioneer Natural Resources named its safety vision “Safety 8760” because there are 8,760 hours in a year and has established Seven Rules to Live By. Seat belts must be worn when a vehicle is in operation by all individuals riding in the vehicle. Texting and emailing when driving are prohibited.

We tell more stories and highlight more of the demonstrated efforts our 11 award recipients featured in their transportation safety programs in our 2021 Best Practice Brochure. We hope you model these best practices, then watch your own program go from good to great!

As always, we’re here to help. On our Training Center page, you will find driver behavior micro e-learning, driving safety games, watch on-demand webinars and free training opportunities. Make plans to join us for two upcoming sessions. Learn how preventative training can reduce the impact of impairment due to opioids, depressants and stimulants in the workplace and how driver safety and building a strong safety culture can help you reduce risk.

  • Wednesday, Aug. 25 (9-10:30 a.m.): Opioids and CNS Depressants/Stimulants: A DITTE Deep Dive
  • Thursday, Sept. 9 (9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.): Our Driving Concern Employer Transportation Safety Training

Crashes open the door for increased cost and liability. Our award recipients have adopted a safety mindset and have worked to put road safety first. The results of their efforts speak for themselves.

– Cindy Leonard is a senior program manager with the National Safety Council