safety_first

20 percent of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving. (NHTSA).
Of those killed in distracted-driving-related crashed, 995 involved reports of a cell phone as a distraction (18% of fatalities in distraction-related crashes). (NHTSA)
In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in U.S. roadways and an estimated additional 448,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes that were reported to have involved distracted driving. (FARS and GES)
The age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 age group - 16 percent of all drivers younger than 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving. (NHTSA)
Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
A cell phone used while driving, whether it's hand-held or hands-free, delays a driver's reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. (Source: University of Utah)

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Distracted Driving Resources

Distracted driving has become such a critical transportation safety issue, there are numerous studies and resources available to help individuals and companies understand the significance of the issue and learn more about how to prevent it. Here are links to several websites with excellent information:

US Department of Transportation - Distracted Driving Website

National Safety Council Distracted Driving Resources

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Deep South Loss Control Contact Information

E:Mail
losscontrol@deep-south.com

Telephone
214.493.4225

Facsimile
888.863.8670

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www.deep-south.com

A Welcome From Ward Johnson - VP Deep South Loss Control

Welcome to the first edition of Deep South's new loss control newsletter. This newsletter is part of a series of initiatives that are currently underway to further enhance the services we offer by bringing more resources, tools and capabilities together to enhance the value Deep South delivers to clients. Ultimately, the objective of each of these resources and capabilities is to help clients manage their total cost of risk through better workplace safety and the prevention of losses.

In the weeks and months ahead, we encourage you to be on the lookout for announcements about these new capabilities. They are being developed to extend and complement the on-site services provided by our more than 30 professional loss control specialists that work out of Deep South's regional offices across the nation.

In each edition of Safety First, you will find updates on Deep South's loss control initiatives, useful safety information you can provide to clients and articles about our staff to help you and your clients get to know us better. Deep South's group of loss control specialists offer a considerable amount of experience and expertise that can be leveraged to solve loss control and safety challenges to the clear benefit of clients. We welcome your input and suggestions for future issues of Safety First.

Visit Deep South's New Loss Control Resources On The Web

Have you been to the Deep South Loss Control Website lately? We've made some big changes and have even more planned. We are committed to providing appropriate and useful loss control information that is easy for all clients to access and use. Here are some of the things that you will now find at www.deep-south.com/services/losscontrol:

A listing of the services that we are able to provide.
A directory of all loss control personnel by location including email links, all contact information, photos, and biography sheets for each.
A comprehensive menu of direct links to major safety resource websites and state resource websites.
Featured loss control material on a wide range of topics that can be downloaded, printed, and used as needed. (Client Only Access)
Access to our library of on-line videos. Currently, videos are related to the safe operation of commercial vehicles. (Client Only Access)
Printable brochures and informational flyers.

We will continue to update and add resources to the loss control section of the website to provide clients with the tools they want and need. As an example, in the very near future we will be offering a new web-based safety video library that features broadcast quality video content on a wide range of safety management topics designed to be in full compliance with OSHA standards. Information will be forthcoming soon about this powerful new safety tool for clients. We encourage you and your clients to check back often to access the latest information at Deep South's safety and loss control hub on the web.

Link >> Deep South Loss Control Web Resources

Deep South - FMCSA Question & Answer

The rollout of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) improved safety enforcement program, CSA-Compliance, Safety Accountability, began on December 12, 2010 with the launch of the new CSA Safety Measurement System (SMS).

In response to the start-up of the new system, Deep South introduced its CSA BASICS material to assist clients with the new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration program. To provide further assistance to clients, we developed a helpful Q&A that responds to the most frequently asked questions. It is an excellent tool for internal and external stakeholders to utilize since it addresses many of the issues and concerns currently related to the CSA program. Deep South's loss control team will continue to monitor and update information as CSA implementation moves forward.

Link >> Deep South CSA 2010 Q&A
Link >> More on CSA 2010 at FMCSA Website

Meet The Newest Member of Our Loss Control Leadership Team

Felicia Dickens has over twenty years of safety and loss control experience working for both insurance organizations and Fortune 500 companies. After graduating from Texas Southern University in Houston with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Chemistry, she started work with a local chemical company in the area of environmental compliance and safety leading to a safety manager position for that organization. She then began her career in the insurance industry working for nationally recognized insurance companies including Liberty Mutual and XL Insurance where she specialized in transportation fleet safety with complex safety exposures. Her substantial experience in the transportation segment promises to be a significant asset for Deep South, its independent agency partners and clients.

In addition to her degree in biology and chemistry, Felicia has earned several professional risk management and safety designations including the Associate Safety Professional (ASP), Associate in Risk Manager (ARM) and Registered Environmental Manager (REM). Felicia's combination of science related education in biology and chemistry coupled with her in-depth safety training and years of real-world experience gives her highly specialized expertise to help companies actively manage their exposure to risk.

In her new role with Deep South as Loss Control Product Manager, Felicia is responsible for refining and developing loss control and safety deliverables designed to enhance Deep South's already robust loss control capabilities to the direct benefit of Deep South clients. Initially, she plans to place specific emphasis on service plans, developing and distributing "lessons learned" information and creating additional services that will deliver more value to clients in their efforts to contain their total cost of risk.

Felicia is originally from Memphis, Tennessee and returns home from time to time to visit family, friends and enjoy world-famous Memphis barbecue. Felicia has a four year old son Chance who is at the center of her life and brings great joy to her day. In her spare time, Felicia likes to garden raising flowers and tomatoes. She also enjoys ski getaways to Sante Fe, New Mexico. More recently, she has started jogging and plans to begin entering 5K running events in the near future. Felicia is also involved in a number of charitable events through her college sorority and other organizations.

The Perils of Personal Use of Company Vehicles

One of the most significant exposures to loss for any company is the personal use of company vehicles. Consider the two cases presented below:

Case 1 - Jack Smith was a tank installer who serviced equipment at client's locations across a wide geographic area. He used a large service truck to carry the tools and equipment needed to provide the service on-site at their locations. The truck had a towing hitch for towing a company tool trailer when additional tools and equipment were needed. Jack often took his truck home at night. Jack and his family enjoyed boating and water skiing. He frequently used the company truck to tow his boat to a lake several miles away when not on duty. On one occasion, the truck slipped backwards on the boat ramp and much of the truck became submerged in several feet of water. As a result, the tools, instruments and equipment in the bed of the truck were lost due to major water damage resulting in a large claim and interruption of service to the company's clients.

Case 2 - Jill Jones was a highly successful business consultant for a company in Los Angeles. One of the "perks" of her position was a luxury-class company car for use on client visits in the greater Los Angeles market area. Jill was fortunate to live near her office and often went directly to client visits from her home without going to the office. From time to time, Jill's teenage daughter, who was an excellent student and active in a number of activities at her school, was allowed to use the vehicle. One night after attending a high school basketball game, Jill's daughter and three friends in the company car were involved in an accident that resulted in injuries to each of the occupants of the vehicle. One of the teenage girls suffered a severe leg injury that required the amputation of her leg to save her life. Beyond the tragedy of a teenage girl losing her leg, the damage to the vehicle, and injuries sustained by the teenagers, the accident resulted in substantial claims.

To prevent situations such as the aforementioned cases from occurring, there should be a clearly written company vehicle policy which addresses the following issues:

Who should be assigned vehicles
Intended use of vehicles
Limitations of use of vehicles
Criteria for assigning vehicles
When employees are expected to use unassigned company vehicles
Who are authorized company drivers - the company should restrict use to the employee only or at a minimum the employee and spouse
No children of employees should be allowed to use company vehicles
If a spouse is allowed to use company vehicles, an MVR should be ordered and reviewed to ensure the spouse's driving record is within company guidelines
If possible, the spouse should sign a company vehicle policy as well
MVR reviews should be conducted periodically to identify patterns of violations or major infractions
A texting/cell phone/distracted driving component of the policy should be in place
Guidelines and rules relative to speed should be clearly stated
Seat belt use must be a part of any sound company vehicle policy
Work day length and fatigue as it relates to driving should be addressed
Recreational use of company vehicles rules should be emphasized

The policy should be reviewed by company employees prior to being assigned a vehicle, be discussed to ensure the policies are understood, and signed by the employee attesting to their understanding of the policy. The policy should make clear responsibilities relative to maintenance and care of the vehicle. It is also very important for the policy to address the revocation of vehicle use for violating company policy.

Commercial Vehicle Safe Driving Tips + Real-World Videos

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration developed web-based safe driving tips to address common commercial driver errors that often lead to accidents. The web-based tips are supported by real-world video from inside the cabs of vehicles that took part in a broad-based naturalistic study conducted by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). The short video clips provide compelling illustration as to the hazards involved and the importance of following the safety tips. The website is an excellent resource for fleet safety managers and others interested in improving safety practices.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration CMV Safe Driving Tips