'Every worker should get home safe'

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Our industry logs a lot of miles, making distracted vehicle and equipment driving a serious concern for every sector. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “There is risk of injury from being struck by construction vehicles and equipment moving within work zones… and highway and street construction workers are at risk of fatal and serious injuries while working at roadway construction job sites.” The NAHB even created a video toolbox talk to help homebuilders reduce risks and several AGC chapters are participating in safe driving campaigns.

Since April is Distracted Driving Month, we asked Julia Kite-Laidlaw, senior program manager for the National Safety Council’s Road to Zero program, to help us understand the scope of the problem and how we can reduce it.

 -Margot Lester

What's the most important thing to know about distracted driving?
Every second of distraction increases the risk of a serious crash or injury. Construction zones are already high-risk areas with narrow lanes, sudden stops and workers usually just a few feet from moving vehicles.

 Momentary distractions—like glancing at a phone or adjusting the radio—can result in devastating consequences, including injuries to coworkers, motorists or pedestrians. Even if you’re driving at a relatively low speed, in the amount of time it takes to look at a text message, you can travel hundreds of feet. Staying fully alert isn’t just a best practice; it’s a lifesaving necessity.

Also, even the most experienced drivers can get distracted. Just because you’ve been driving for years without a problem doesn’t mean it’s OK to cut corners on safety. You can’t get complacent, because you can’t truly predict what other people are going to do. To protect yourself and others, and to be ready for anything unexpected, you need to focus entirely on driving every time you’re behind the wheel.   

How can construction leaders reduce distracted driving?
Lead by example and make sure your employees know that safety is always worth prioritizing, even if it means you arrive on-site a few minutes late or you don’t return a phone call right away. When they feel secure giving all of their attention to the task of driving without extra stresses, you can feel secure they’re working free from distraction.

What else should we know?
Make distraction-free driving a core component of your safety culture. Preventing crashes in the workplace isn’t about finding fault or issuing punishment. We’re all human and we’re all going to make mistakes sometimes. The important thing is ensuring that mistakes don’t have serious or even deadly consequences. The good news is that distracted driving is completely preventable. At the end of the day, every worker should get home safe.

Edited for brevity and clarity. 

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The Level is written by Margot Lester and edited by Bianca Prieto.