Summary
The Maryland Traffic Safety Awareness For Employers (T-SAFE) Project was designed to be an employer-specific traffic safety investment program that increases traffic safety awareness among Maryland employers and their employees. The objective of this program is to provide employers with the tools and resources needed to protect their most important asset, their employees, while driving on and off the job.
The benefits of implementing a workplace traffic-safety program include the reduction of traffic-related injuries, deaths, and the economic losses associated with traffic crashes to the employer, the employee, and the overall community. The main focus of the project is to share traffic safety information not only with employees but also with their customers. While this is an investment program to help employers reduce crashes and costs, the program looks at the startling financial losses being suffered statewide and nationally.
Campaigns
T-SAFE:
Currently, the Maryland Highway Safety Office has maintained communication with all T-SAFE Members by providing newsletters, e-news updates, resource materials, presentations and attending health and safety fairs.
Grantees: MHSO provided a grant to the Chesapeake Region Safety Council (CRSC) to promote traffic safety to businesses throughout the state. In 2009, a total of six new businesses received information about the Boot Camp Project. The staff from the CRSC created “Tool Box Talks”—fact sheets including startling statistics. The CRSC conducted presentations and participants received information about traffic safety and the impact that motor vehicle crashes has on employers.
Events: The T-SAFE Program Coordinator participated at the 2009 State Employees Risk Management Conference. An interactive display was set-up, a variety of information was distributed and the T-SAFE brochure was disseminated to recruit new partners. T-SAFE was invited and participated at the 5th Regiment Armory Unity Day Event. The event focused on providing health and safety education to employees of every military installation. More than 500 employees attended the event and a wide variety of safety material was distributed. The T-SAFE Project also participated at the Northrop Grumman Safety Event. The safety event was designed as an open house for all employees to attend. T-SAFE’s interactive booth distributed approximately pre-made safety bags to employees, including material pertaining to distracted driving, impaired driving, seatbelt use, and young driver information.
Material: Throughout the year, the T-SAFE Program Coordinator provided approximately 4,000 pieces of literature to a number of T-SAFE partners including approximately 1,000 incentives. In 2009, a significant amount of Choose Safety for Life material was distributed along with materials from the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, pre-existing material developed by MHSO such as impaired driving, aggressive, seat belt and pedestrian and the T-SAFE brochure.
 Drive Safely Work Week (DSWW):
The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety's (NETS) holds this annual workplace safety campaign which provides an easy, affordable way to remind employees of safe driving practices.
The DSWW tool kit has everything needed to launch a successful campaign, including:
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Activities for each day, including interactive, electronic-based tools
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Daily communications messages
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Downloadable graphics
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Communication tools, including press releases and campaign launch letter
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Materials suitable for local and global employees
The campaign addresses:
The DSWW campaign has been sponsored by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) since 1996. The theme for DSWW 2009 was “Drive Focused. Drive Smart. Get Home Safely.” With today’s businesses most likely operating with the bare minimum staff needed to get the job done, no one can afford to lose even one employee to a traffic crash.
The campaign’s primary message is to get home safely at the end of each day, because chances are someone special is waiting for you to get there. It addresses the issue of distracted driving and provides materials and activities to help build strategies to minimize distractions while behind the wheel. In addition, tips and information on eco-friendly driving are included. By making simple changes to our driving and maintenance practices, fuel economy can be improved by up to 15%, according to EcoDrivingUSA.
Although the national observance of the campaign takes place each year during the first week of October, the materials are not dated and can be used throughout the year for continued promotion of safe driving practices. Founded in 1989, NETS is a non-profit partnership of socially responsible public and private organizations dedicated exclusively to traffic safety in the workplace.
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