| www.labor.mo.gov | July 2010 |
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Missouri Employers Urged to Implement Seat Belt Policy for Workers The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) says that crashes cost Missouri employers more than $800 million annually, and about $310 per employee. Motor vehicle crashes cost employers in:
Injuries due to motor vehicle crashes also drive up the cost of benefits such as:
Making the effort to promote safety belt use has a public relations benefit as well. It shows employees that you are concerned with their welfare and demonstrates to the community that you are a good corporate citizen. Encouraging safety belt use by having a policy requiring employees to buckle up while on the job could impact their behavior, and their families, off the clock. Employers are strongly urged to encourage all of their employees to wear their seat belt by implementing a seat belt policy in their fleet/company vehicles. For example, the state of Missouri’s seat belt policy has been in effect since 2002 and requires all occupants in state vehicles to use safety restraints. For more information on safety belt usage, please contact MoDOT’s Highway Safety Division at 888-ASK MODOT or visit http://www.savemolives.com/. |
Motor vehicle crashes – on and off the job, are the primary cause of death and injury in the nation’s workforce. According to the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), regardless of when, where, or why an employee is behind the wheel, when a motor vehicle auto injury occurs, there is a devastating impact on the workplace. Recent statistics show that the average cost of a motor vehicle crash to an employer is $16,500 regardless of whether it was an on-the-job or off-the-job crash.