Road safety advocate remind drivers to be safe with work-related travel

The Road Safety at Work organization is urging drivers in the North Okanagan to be safe when on the road for business purposes.

The road safety advocate said work-related crashes are the leading cause of traumatic workplace death in B.C.

WorkSafeBC statistics from 2017 to 2021 show an average of 20 people were killed and another 1,400 sustained serious injuries and had to miss work in work-related crashes each year.

The stats showed the jobs with the highest work-related incidents were transport truck drivers; delivery or courier drivers; transit operators; nurse aides, orderlies and other patient service associates; social and community service workers; and construction trades labourers and helpers.

To offset the number of collisions relating to work, Road Safety at Work advises people pay attention to other drivers and be patient in traffic; follow the rules of the road; plan trips in advance; ensure vehicles are in good running condition; and be knowledgeable, comfortable and confident in your ability to drive for work purposes.

Despite the figures on work-related collisions, a Road Safety at Work survey showed just 11 per cent of employers and 26 per cent of employees believe driving for work is dangerous.

The organization stated a vehicle used for work is considered a workplace and it is an employer’s responsibility to ensure people who drive for work purposes are safe.

“Changing that attitude can help prevent injuries and even save lives,” Trace Acres, program director for Road Safety at Work, said.

“Most crashes are preventable if employers provide training, education, and supervision, and workers follow safe driving procedures.”

In 2022, there were 3,774 passenger vehicles and 6,101 commercial vehicles insured for business use in the North Okanagan.

Of those, 3,397 passenger vehicles and 4,710 commercial vehicles were registered for work-related travel in Vernon.

The road safety advocates noted there were likely more people driving their own vehicles for work purposes during the year but were not included in the tallies as they weren’t officially registered for work purposes, and also encourages those individuals take steps to prevent collisions when behind the wheel for work purposes.