Arrive safely in rush hour traffic
Every year, around 80,000 people are involved in road accidents in Switzerland, and 253 were killed last year. More than one in ten of these accidents occur in the workplace. When employees have accidents, this also has an impact on companies: In addition to the suffering of those affected, absences also lead to financial and organizational expenses.
The causes of most accidents in road traffic are known and can be avoided by simple measures. For this reason, the bfu - Swiss Council for Accident Prevention has compiled the manual "Arriving Safely in Road Traffic", in which the most important topics of road safety in the professional environment are addressed: From hazard analysis with the evaluation of accident figures, to measures and resources for concrete topics such as drowsiness at the wheel, distraction or securing loads, to instructions for checking measures. The manual is handed out at a course and the handling is trained. It is aimed at specialists who are responsible for planning and implementing preventive measures in the company. It offers templates and checklists, an e-learning program on fatigue, and other tools that can be used directly in the company.
bfu recommends crash recorder
In order to further reduce the number of accidents in the operational environment, so-called crash recorders or accident data storage devices (UDS), which are used for accident reconstruction, could also be useful in the future. These devices are installed in vehicles and record various parameters (such as deceleration, lateral acceleration and vehicle speed) in great detail. However, only a short period of time before and after an accident is recorded - for example, 20 seconds before and 10 seconds after the impact.
The bfu is basically in favor of the installation of accident data recorders. Although there are currently no scientifically substantiated results on the effective prevention effect of crash recorders from Switzerland, there are numerous indications that installed accident data recorders could contribute to reducing the number of accidents. Based on the findings of a study conducted by the bfu, crash recorders would be particularly useful and sensible in companies with drivers under 25 years of age. There are also clear indications that the damage costs for vehicles with crash recorders are lower than for vehicles without this system.
Text: bfu
