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Selina Barker

Employee Safety is a Good Investment

Tabletop statue of a business person in front of an upward trend arrow.

A series of reports by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) has shown traffic crashes cost employers more every year. According to NETS, “In 2019, U.S. traffic crashes cost employers $72.2 billion—up from $47.4 billion in 2013—in direct crash-related expenses which include medical care, liability, lost productivity and property damage.” If costs continue to increase at this rate, then U.S. employers could pay over $109.7 billion in collision-related costs in 2025.


Here’s an overview of how much each incident type cost U.S. employers in 2018, and how much it could cost them in 2025 if the current upwards trend continues:

Incident Type

Losses 2018

Projected Losses 2025

Distracted driving

$18.8 billion

$28.6 billion

Speeding

$9.8 billion

$14.9 billion

Driving under the influence of alcohol

$8.0 billion

$12.2 billion

Not wearing a seat belt

$7.4 billion

$11.3 billion

These costs are incurred through crash-related expenses such as property damage, workplace disruption, liability, sick leave, health insurance, and insurance covering work losses.


The study showed that employers could control costs by promoting safe driving habits, including seat belt usage and the elimination of speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving, whether or not employees are on the clock.

Creating a culture of safe driving in the workplace is not only a good business practice that will keep employees safe while driving for work, but it fosters a larger understanding of the need for safe driving that employees take home and apply in their personal lives while driving outside of work. Fewer crashes all around translates to less loss of productivity and lower expenses for employers.


the report finds that medical costs paid by employers per employee injured in a crash were nearly double in on-the-job crashes where the employee was not wearing a seat belt.

Jack Hanley, the Executive Director of NETS from 2008 to 2016, said about the report, “It shows that employers bear the crash costs of all their employees, not just their company drivers. Investing in road safety is good business and today’s report provides employers with a blueprint for developing business cases in support of employee road safety.”


These reports detail how investing in safe driving saves money, but it also echoes something we have always known; it saves lives.


Injuries resulting from roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles is the leading cause of work-related deaths. In 2022, 1,369 workers died

The most recent report concludes, “Implementing fleet safety programs not only protects employees but can also be a profitable investment of time and resources by helping employers control costs and making roads safer for everyone. In addition, fleet safety programs can reduce health care expenses to employers without reducing the benefits offered to employees.”


When your employees are a major asset to your company, investing in their health and safety is proven to pay off.

 

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