Traffic crashes and their resulting injuries or deaths are the leading cause of lost work time in America. In addition, these crashes cost American employers over $50 billion each year. As employers grapple with the increasing cost of health care and workers’ compensation, they are beginning to understand that injury prevention and employee wellness are cost- effective measures that will improve their bottom line. Since impaired driving contributes to over 40 percent of all motor vehicle crashes, employers know it makes sense to attack the substance abuse issue.

Wellness, in general, is a cost-effective way for employers to address and prevent health problems among their employees and their families. In turn, employers are rewarded through improved employee morale, less lost work time and expense, greater sales or production, and other intangible benefits.

Injury prevention and wellness are a natural combination. Any employer who analyzes internal data will quickly realize that motor vehicle injury is near or at the top of the list of factors that contribute to lost work time. Therefore, injury prevention combined with other wellness initiatives is an excellent strategy to controlling business costs. Once implemented, employers will have lower medical costs through decreased workers’ compensation and health benefit premiums. Additional savings will result from preventing lost productivity and by avoiding costs associated with worker replacement and re-assigning and re-training expenses. Steps taken by employers to reduce impaired driving also benefit the employees’ families and their communities. A safe community is a productive and healthy community for employers, workers, and their families.

Involving Employers in 3D Prevention Month Activities

What You Can Do for Employers in Your Community

3D Prevention Month offers a unique opportunity for employers to work collaboratively with others in their community to reduce impaired driving. Employers can be reminded that impaired driving affects everyone, whether they are drivers, passengers, or pedestrians. Impaired drivers also endanger the communities where managers, workers, and their families live. Here are some suggestions to help build bridges to the employers in your community.

Offer to assist employers to:

• Review and modify their hiring and retention policies and procedures with regard to substance abuse and specifically impaired driving

• Review and modify their alcohol policies for official use (responsible hospitality, etc.)

• Include substance abuse questions on employment applications or wellness health risk appraisals

• Conduct Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) license checks on drivers. (California provides this data automatically to government employers, and private employers can access this data)

• Help them access community resources that will assist them in screening employees for substance abuse problems (driver license reviews, supervisor analysis, employee surveys, etc.). If substance abuse is detected, offer to assist employers to develop or modify an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which would provide counseling and/or rehabilitation opportunities

• Conduct workplace education seminars/workshops on impaired driving and other topics

What Employers Can Do

Employers are learning that they receive value from investing resources in Safe Communities programs. Enlightened employers, like Texas Instruments in Houston, Texas, understand that injury prevention programs and safety messages are more effective if employees are exposed to them in the workplace and in the community. Here are some suggestions which may help create a win-win situation. Employers can:

• Provide in-kind or financial resources to fund or support community traffic safety initiatives (e.g., purchase video cameras, use office space, fund a dial-a-ride program, pay for electronic, print, or other public service announcements (PSA), etc.). If resources are provided, be sure to publicly acknowledge the contribution

• Secure speaking opportunities to address their peer organizations on cost-effective injury prevention programs

• Document their program activities and share their stories with others (best practices, etc.)

• Host or co-sponsor an alcohol awareness effort for employees, their families, and their communities

• Join, support and take advantage of the local Safe Communities or Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) organizations

• Include injury prevention information on their Web site and link it to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and NETS sites

Resources for Employers

More information on employer initiatives can be obtained from a local Safe Communities program, State Highway Safety Office, or NHTSA Regional Office. Office addresses are listed in this planner and are available on the NHTSA Web site (www.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa/whatis/regions/).

Other ideas for workplace programs and other resources for employers are available through NETS and its partner chapters. NETS produces seasonal planners (one focuses specifically on impaired driving). It provides copy for employee newsletters, camera-ready artwork, and program ideas. For more information about NETS, you may browse the Web site (www.trafficsafety.org), or contact the office at:

Network of Employers for Traffic Safety

1900 L Street, NW

Suite 705

Washington, DC 20036

Phone: (202) 452-6005

Fax: (202) 223-7012

Successful Program: Chrysler Corporation

The Chrysler Corporation celebrated the season and promoted sober driving to its employees at a Mocktail Party on December 18. More than 200 employees sampled non-alcoholic drinks and collected anti-impaired driving information and red ribbons to take home. Stay Well Health Management Systems ran the program, decorated the Chrysler cafeteria, and provided holiday music. Stay Well, the HealthyLife program, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and Chrysler teamed up on activities such as this one to decrease employee risk for disease and accidents through screening and information.

For more information, contact:

Stay Well

26001 Lawrence

Center Line, MI 48015

Phone: (810) 497-2253