Driving is a 24/7 safety concern, so it’s always a relevant topic to discuss in your workplace, and August is a particularly opportune time to focus on human factors and traffic. National Traffic Safety Month and Brake Safety Awareness Month both occur in August and the first week is dedicated to keeping folks reactive to traffic controls like stop signs and red lights. Plus, as the second half of summer careens toward autumn, the seasonal road hazards of construction and back-to-school traffic present additional challenges for drivers.
These August traffic topics are prime content for digital display presentations in your facility. A digital display presentation is a great way to reach employees on their terms, engaging them throughout their workday. These presentations are most effective when they align with toolbox talks and off-the-job safety information you’re delivering in your workplace. The repetition of a message can offer timely reminders to employees and reinforce crucial safety knowledge.
Our previous post featuring August off-the-job safety topics contains plenty of National Traffic Safety Awareness Month and Brake Safety Awareness Month material that you can use for your display presentation, while our blog post on toolbox talk suggestions for August contains information you can use about Back to School Month. And if you’re looking for more, you’re in the right place. Here are some data points and helpful safety tips to include in your August digital display presentations about traffic and human factors.
National Traffic Safety Awareness Month
A great way to grab workers’ attention around the subject of National Traffic Safety Awareness Month is to start with a stat:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that
8,650 people died in traffic crashes in the first three months of 2024.
That number is staggering and is sure to engage passers-by when included on a presentation slide. But it might also be important to note that it has decreased from the estimated traffic fatalities in the same time frame as the previous year. The decrease has been projected to come with the popular adoption of new vehicle safety technologies like automatic emergency braking, collision mitigation, blind spot warning indicators, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, 360° camera features and other helpful tools. While these innovations undoubtedly enhance the safety of their vehicles, they can significantly impact human factors, and that’s something worth including in your presentation.
This is a relatable topic for people right now. New vehicle safety technologies can cause people to stop thinking about some of the risks of driving, leading to a dangerous level of complacency. What’s more: these technologies are largely controlled through interactive displays in a car, which makes them likely to cause distraction. Remember, anything that takes your eyes and mind off the task of driving should be considered a distraction. This includes cameras, dashboard indicators and vehicle settings on your in-car touchscreens.
Think about how many people only watch their backup camera while their vehicle is in motion. Or how people might be more inclined to pick up their cellphone while using adaptive cruise control. And what about the drivers who develop a habit of merging lanes when their blind spot indicator says it’s safe without doing the essential shoulder check? Your digital display presentation is a great way to remind employees to observe best driving practices regardless of their car’s new safety features. Being proactive can fend off complacency.
Avoiding complacency on the road
Here are several habits you can share in your digital display presentation that everyone can work on to avoid complacency on the road:
1. Start with safety in mind
Pre-startup inspections, circle checks, and pre-shift meetings or toolbox talks are great ways to encourage safe actions behind the wheel.
2. Pre-plan your route
This is especially important when buses are back on the road. Plan a direct route that will minimize the likelihood of encountering school buses or pedestrian slowdowns. Try to avoid construction areas too. These route interruptions can cause a multitude of human factors like frustration and rushing to increase road risk for everyone in the affected area.
3. Use safety technologies with caution
Drivers need to think about the elements of driving that they risk neglecting when using safety technologies. For example, drivers should get in the habit of continuing to do shoulder checks before merging or changing lanes even though the blind spot warning indicator is activated in the car. Remember: safety technologies are rarely foolproof.
4. Pay attention to the signs
Taking notice of the signs you pass on the road—deer crossing, construction ahead, change of speed limit—should alert your brain to pay attention to potential risks and bring your mind back to safety. If you find yourself having trouble paying attention to road signs, you may be experiencing fatigue or distraction. It’s a good idea to take a break at a rest stop and refocus your attention before getting back on the road.
5. Scanning intersections
Performing LCR (left-center-right) scans every time you approach intersections is a great habit that helps fight complacency. Taking the time to look in each direction keeps you aware of changing traffic conditions and brings your mind back to the safety risks associated with driving.
6. Think about human factors
Human factors like distraction, fatigue, rushing and frustration are bound to creep in while driving. Drivers can improve their ability to process them by planning ahead. Charting specific routes, identifying rest stops, scanning for risks and removing distraction temptations like cellphones are effective strategies to tamp down human factors experienced in the driver’s seat.
Brake Safety Awareness Month
Speaking of planning ahead, one of the national month themes for August is brake safety awareness. Brakes are a critical system in any vehicle, and making sure they are in good working order before buckling up can save lives. Your digital display presentation is the perfect opportunity to share some warning signs that your employees’ brakes might need attention.
Here are a few common brake maintenance red flags:
- A squeaking or squealing noise coming from brakes.
- You hear a grinding metal sound when braking.
- The brake service warning light is lit.
- The brake pedal vibrates when you press it down.
- It takes more time to stop than usual or the vehicle doesn’t stop like it used to.
- The vehicle pulls to one side when braking.
Any one of these is a sign that a vehicle’s brakes need to be checked out right away. Including contact information for trusted local mechanics or service centers in your presentation will give viewers the information they need to take the next step in keeping their car safe.
Stop on Red Week
If your brakes are in working order then you might as well use them properly. That’s the whole idea behind Stop on Red Week, a national safety awareness event held every year during the first week of August. Driving through traffic controls like stop signs and red lights is consistently among the top ten causes of traffic accidents. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1,149 people were killed and more than 107,000 people were injured in crashes that involved red light running in 2022.
Any number of human factors could cause drivers to miss stop signs and/or red lights. By including the above stats with a reminder to scan intersections while driving—not just for traffic controls but for other drivers that might be running through them—you will help employees stay alert to this major concern. You can even include a brief story involving a missed stop sign or traffic light, as it’s a relatable topic that often involves human factors. Be sure to break up your story across a few slides and include pictures when possible to keep viewers engaged.
Summer construction
Summer construction is another concern for driving safety. Drivers become easily frustrated by construction zones slowing them down. And that’s a problem reflected in fatality statistics:
Between 2013 and 2021, construction zone fatalities increased by 61 percent
Sadly, every summer multiple car accidents happen in construction zones, with construction workers often taking the hit. Distraction and speed tend to be the leading causes of driving incidents in construction zones. Remember that construction workers will also be affected by their own human factors, like complacency and fatigue, which can also contribute to incidents. With so many variables at play, it’s important for drivers to be especially careful in construction areas.
In your presentation, include a list of actions drivers can take to exercise construction zone safety:
- Follow the posted construction zone speed limit.
- Maintain a safe following distance from the driver in front of you. Riding their bumper or weaving in and out of traffic is not going to get you to your destination much faster than waiting your turn, and your actions may cause other drivers to feel rushed or frustrated, increasing the overall risk.
- Watch the workers and vehicles on the side of the road. Often vehicles or workers can move into your line of fire in a construction zone. It’s important to stay alert and be ready for workers to suddenly enter your path.
- Eliminate distractions—being stopped or significantly slowed down by a construction zone does not open the door to being on your cellphone or focusing on other distractions behind the wheel. Stay alert, even when stopped.
Back to School Month
While it might not seem immediately related to road safety, another important topic to include in your August digital display presentation is Back to School Month. School buses are often back on the road in August, which can reduce the speed limits in some areas, increase street and pedestrian traffic, and increase the risk of incidents. Bus pick-ups and drop-offs can cause slowdowns and heavier traffic, which can amplify human factors like rushing and frustration. While many drivers may be paying attention to the large yellow buses and flashing lights, they may not be giving as much heed to the surrounding area where pedestrians can dart out from in between parked cars and into traffic. With school buses back in the driving equation, a digital display reminder to drive safely can go a long way.
With so many traffic safety tips and stats, you should have no trouble putting together an engaging August digital display presentation. You can combine them all into one comprehensive slide deck or divide them up into multiple smaller presentations posted throughout the month. As long as you aim to engage your employees in clearly communicated safety messaging, you can be sure you’re headed in the right direction. And if you’re feeling a little lost, don’t worry, we have you covered—check out this guide to creating digital safety presentations to get started.