http://www.2seconds2click.org/Lack of seat belt use costs U.S. employers $5 billion; drives up medical bills
U.S. employers are collectively spending an extra $5 billion per year on traffic crashes involving employees who did not wear a seat belt while driving or riding as a passenger, whether they were on the job or off. This is according to a report released by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS). The same report finds that medical costs paid by employers per employee injured in a crash were nearly double in on-the-job crashes where the employee was not wearing a seat belt and increased by a third for off-the-job crashes.
“It’s likely most think getting people to buckle up is a problem that has been solved. But this report makes it clear that seat belts still go unbuckled, resulting in significant costs to employers,” said Jack Hanley, NETS’ Executive Director. “In addition to implementing seat belt policies for occupational drivers, employers should take time to encourage all employees to buckle up whether they are on the job or off. The two seconds it takes to buckle a seat belt reduces the chance of injury or death in the event of a crash by almost half. There really is no better return on investment.”
To help employers improve seat belt usage among employees and, in turn, reduce the human and financial toll of traffic crashes on the workplace, NETS has developed a free online toolkit called 2seconds2click.
The toolkit includes a communication plan for a 6-week worksite seat belt usage campaign and is accompanied by a full suite of employee-engagement materials. These include a kick-off presentation with speaker notes, a series of posters, handouts and activities, as well as instructions and materials to assist in conducting direct observation surveys at the start and completion of the campaign to measure results.
