Working On The Road | Safety Tips For Employees Who Drive For A Living

Working on the Road

An experienced personal injury lawyer can inform you of your rights if you or someone you love is injured in a motor vehicle accident due to distracted driving.

Truck drivers, food delivery drivers and sales people spend hundreds of hours driving each year. Office workers are sent on errands and regional managers travel between locations. The fact is, for many of us, time in our vehicle is part of our job description. While we carry out the duties of our job from the road, safety should be top of mind for employers and employees.

Added time behind the wheel, hazardous travel conditions and the ever-present distracted driving temptations increase the risk for accidents. The unconventional nature of the vehicle as a workplace makes it difficult for employers to write policy that speaks to every variable that could arise. Safety regulations are hard to enforce and nearly impossible to supervise. Employers may choose to require drivers to complete a defensive driving course. Still, it is important that the employee themselves, take extra caution to ensure their travel time is safe. OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration offers these work-related safe driving tips:

Stay Safe

• Use a seat belt at all times – driver and passenger(s).
• Be well-rested before driving.
• Avoid taking medications that make you drowsy.
• Set a realistic goal for the number of miles that you can drive safely each day.
• If you are impaired by alcohol or any drug, do not drive.

Stay Focused

• Driving requires your full attention. Avoid distractions, such as adjusting the radio or other controls, eating or drinking, and talking on the phone.
• Continually search the roadway to be alert to situations requiring quick action.
• Stop about every two hours for a break. Get out of the vehicle to stretch, take a walk, and get refreshed.

Avoid Aggressive Driving

• Keep your cool in traffic!
• Be patient and courteous to other drivers.
• Do not take other drivers’ actions personally.
• Reduce your stress by planning your route ahead of time (bring the maps and directions), allowing plenty of travel time, and avoiding crowded roadways and busy driving times.

The perceived need to multitask while driving during your workday can be deadly. Follow the above safety tips and remember that when you’re behind the wheel, driving is your only job. You can keep yourself, and those you share the road with, safe.

If you or someone you know has suffered a personal injury while driving during the workday, contact The Personal Injury Department at The Law Offices of Young Wooldridge, LLP. A personal injury lawyer at The Law Offices of Young Wooldridge, LLP can inform you of legal options you may not know you have.