Greater employer responsibility can save thousands of lives

Workrelated road crashes are the most common cause of workplace death, factoring in employees and third parties caught in crashes involving the companies’ transportation activities, of which the former account for approximately 100,000 deaths and the latter 300,000.
Company sees 80 per cent drop in employee deaths in five years
Organizations that implement a safety culture and follow the traffic regulations in compliance with the Work Environment Act can play a vital part in curbing the number of accidents. Major employers with extensive transport chains in low- and middle-income countries have the potential to increase traffic safety on a global scale.

– Organizations that invest in a robust safety culture and that continually monitor practices create a safer environment for their staff and the general public, says Maria Krafft, Director of Traffic Safety at the Swedish Transport Administration. 

– The oil company Total Energies, for example, has reported an 80 per cent drop in employee deaths in five years thanks to such initiatives.

Reducing the risks with safety initiatives

Employers that give priority to safety and comply with established traffic-safety praxis have seen a significant reduction in accident numbers. For example, they have shown that by ensuring that employees wear seatbelts and comply with speed limits and maintaining a zero-tolerance alcohol and drug policy, accident statistics can be dramatically improved. The vehicle industry can also produce more vehicles that help drivers to comply with the traffic rules through, for instance, the integration of geofencing technologies that prevent illicit speeding.