WSA Member Update 10.15.22

October 15, 2022  Dear WSA Members,  Distracted driving is considered the largest cause of accidents in the U.S. For that reason, the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety designates the first full week of October each year to improving driver awareness and increasing traffic safety.  Startling statistics include that over 1,000 injuries and nine deaths per day occur in distracted driver accidents. In this inflation-ridden economy, an increasing number of parking area sweeper operators are taking a second job – whether or not you know about it. That can lead to an increased level of both distraction and tiredness. So, we are dedicating this WSA Member Update to addressing the issue of distracted driving.  If you want to dive deeply into the issue, I encourage you to check out Verizon Connect’s “Is Distracted Driving Eating into Your Fleet’s Bottom Line?” The 48-minute webinar focuses on what you can do to minimize distractions for your operators.  Learn more about: • Safety, cost and reputation • impact of distracted driving • Addressing distracted driving with drivers: When and How? • How technology can be your ally Because distraction is so common, safety professionals often don’t even classify it as a problem. Instead, the focus is put on visible actions like using a cell phone while driving instead of the more universal problem of distraction, which isn’t solved by banning phones.  This 14-minute on-demand webinar by SafeStart teaches how distraction is the underlying cause of most incidents, and how human factors training can help manage the states of mind that contribute to distraction and help prevent any related incidents. Consider requiring that any of your employees who have had distraction-related incidents watch it.  Our October Safety First! post by John Meola offers the following good reminder topics: • Changes for the Fall Season • Close Calls: Be sure to report them! • Don’t become a statistic • ALL your driving must be defensive • Drivers act differently post-Covid • Ergonomics and body mechanics entering cold weather Finally, I want to encourage all of you to have a safety meeting dedicated to being especially cautious on your Halloween evening routes. For any sweeper operator, Halloween night is one of the most dangerous nights of the year. Although you can find a host of good sites that provide info on how to be especially cautious, I found one of the most concise to be the “10 Motorist Tips for Safe Halloween Driving.”  As always, if you have questions or comments about this WSA Member Update, or anything else to do with the World Sweeping Association or power sweeping in general, please let me know.  Good Sweeping,  Ranger Kidwell-Ross, Executive Director World Sweeping Association