Employers urged to prepare now as most dangerous driving season arrives
Staff who only drive occasionally often overlooked
BC employers need to answer 2 vital questions as the province’s most dangerous driving season arrives:
- Do you know exactly how many of your employees drive as part of their job?
- Do you know how to meet your legal responsibilities for keeping them all safe on the road at this time of year?
“Employers need to prepare their employees and vehicles now for fall and winter driving. Waiting until temperatures drop or snow flies is too late,” says Trace Acres, Program Director for Road Safety at Work and spokesperson for the annual Shift into Winter campaign. “It’s the riskiest time of year for people who drive for work.”
Shift into Winter launched this month, just ahead of the October 1 law requiring winter tires on many BC highways.
Employers are legally responsible for the safety of their employees when they drive on the job. This includes more than full-time drivers such as couriers and commercial truck operators. Organizations often overlook employees who drive occasionally or part-time.
“Driving for work can be anything from travelling between job sites, to driving to meet clients, to picking up office supplies,” says Acres. “And it doesn’t matter whether they use company vehicles or their own.”
Community health support services employees, for example, often drive to see clients. And they’re among the highest-risk occupations for driving-related injuries.
Crashes are preventable
Crashes are the leading cause of traumatic work-related deaths in BC. Through fall and winter, crashes increase due to road and weather conditions. Nearly 40% of all work-related crashes in BC resulting in injury and time off the job occur from November to February, according to WorkSafeBC statistics.
The Shift into Winter campaign, managed by Road Safety at Work and supported by the Winter Driving Safety Alliance, aims to reduce the number of winter-related crashes, injuries, and deaths on BC roads.
Most crashes are preventable. Employers can help meet their legal responsibilities by preparing and planning ahead.
A 2021 survey done for Road Safety at Work identified several areas of possible improvement:
- 19% of BC employers provide winter driving training.
- 38% have a policy for driving in winter or inclement weather.
- 47% ensure workers evaluate road, weather, and traffic conditions to determine if conditions are safe before they begin driving.
Here’s how employers can prepare
Shift into Winter suggests the following tips to help employers meet their safety responsibilities for employees who drive at work:
Prepare your vehicles
Give them a seasonal inspection and tune-up. Install a set of 4 matched winter tires in good condition with a minimum tread depth of 3.5 mm (5/32”). Tires with the 3-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol offer the best traction on snow, ice, and in cold weather. Depending on the terrain and size of the vehicle, chains or traction devices may also be useful.
Prepare your drivers
Educate and train your drivers on their safety rights and responsibilities and your organization’s winter driving safety procedures. Ensure they are aware of driving hazards. Have a policy to determine when driving is necessary and when it can be postponed, how to drive for the conditions, and what to do in the event of an emergency. Make sure drivers know when and how to safely and properly install chains or other approved traction devices.
Organizations of any size can use Shift into Winter’s free templates and other resources, including a Winter Driving Safety Planning Tool Kit and the online course Winter Driving Safety for Employers and Supervisors. Everyone who completes the course and an exit survey by December 15 will be entered in a draw for a gift certificate for a set of winter tires (value up to $1,000), donated by Kal Tire.
Quotes
The Hon. Harry Bains, Minister of Labour:
“Winter conditions are a challenge for workers who drive as part of their job, and it’s the employers’ legal duty to ensure their safety on the road. This means following the rules on winter tires, conducting seasonal vehicle inspections and teaching drivers about winter road safety. By doing these things you’re helping workers return home safely at the end of the day.”
The Hon. Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure:
“Employers ensuring their vehicles and drivers are road-ready for the winter season is an important part of making sure employees have a safe work environment in the darker and colder months. Actions like equipping work vehicles with proper winter tires or having an inclement weather policy are all workplace practices that put safety first.”
About the Winter Driving Safety Alliance
The Winter Driving Safety Alliance is a cross-section of public, private, and non-profit organizations committed to working together to improve safe winter driving behaviours and practices in BC. Members are: Road Safety at Work; Ambulance Paramedics of BC; Automotive Retailers Association; BCAA; BC Forest Safety Council; BC Highway Patrol – RCMP; BC Road Builders & Heavy Construction Association; City of Kelowna; City of Vancouver; Concrete BC; CoreCode Safety and Compliance; Government of BC; Hansen’s Vehicle Relocation; Insurance Corporation of BC; Island Equipment Owners Association; Justice Institute of British Columbia; Kal Tire; Mainroad; SafetyDriven; Tiger Calcium; Tire and Rubber Association of Canada; Wilson M. Beck Insurance Services; and WorkSafeBC.
About Road Safety at Work
Road Safety at Work manages the Shift into Winter campaign as part of its mandate to help BC employers improve the safety of workers when they drive for work. It provides free tools and information for employers, supervisors, and drivers at RoadSafetyAtWork.ca.
Media contact
Gord Woodward, Communications manager
Road Safety at Work
250-734-3652
gwoodward@roadsafetyatwork.ca