Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announces partnership with US Department of Transportation to combat distracted driving by workers

/PRNewswire/ -- Because motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of worker fatalities, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced a partnership between the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation to combat distracted driving.

"It is imperative that employers eliminate financial and other incentives that encourage workers to text while driving," said Secretary Solis. "It is well recognized that texting while driving dramatically increases the risk of a motor vehicle injury or fatality."

Prohibiting texting while driving is the subject of an executive order signed by President Barack Obama last year for federal employees and the subject of rulemaking by the Department of Transportation.

OSHA is launching a multi-pronged initiative that includes:

* An education campaign for employers, to be launched during "Drive Safely Work Week" in early October, will call on employers to prevent occupationally related distracted driving, with a special focus on prohibiting texting while driving.
* An open letter to employers to be posted on OSHA's website, http://www.osha.gov during "Drive Safely Work Week." The website also will showcase model employer policies and encourage employer and labor associations to communicate OSHA's message.
* Alliances with the National Safety Council and other key organizations as outreach to employers, especially small employers, aimed at combating distracted driving and prohibit texting while driving.
* Special emphasis on reaching younger workers by coordinating with other Labor Department agencies as well as alliance partners and stakeholders.
* Investigating issue citations and penalties where necessary to end the practice when OSHA receives a credible complaint that an employer requires texting while driving.


"We call upon all employers to prohibit any work policy or practice that requires or encourages workers to text while driving," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "The Occupational Safety and Health Act is clear; employers must provide a workplace free of recognized hazards."

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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60 Percent of Motorists Admit to Losing Their Temper While Driving

/PRNewswire/ -- Aggressive driving kills, says AAA Michigan. More than half of fatal car crashes involve some form of aggressive driving--speeding, running another driver off the road, tailgating or yelling obscenities.

A 2008 survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 80 percent of respondents consider aggressive drivers to be a serious traffic safety problem. However, many of those same people said they drive aggressively. Relatively minor driving infractions--changing lanes without signaling, following too closely, driving too slowly, honking at other drivers--can easily escalate into potentially deadly altercations. Not every incident turns violent, but 60 percent of motorists admit losing their temper while driving--also known as road rage.

AAA recommendations to avoid aggressive driving:

Don't offend

-- Signal when changing lanes and merging. Avoid cutting off other
drivers.

-- Do not drive slowly in the left lane. If faster traffic wants to pass,
move to the right lane.

-- Allow a two to four second space between your car and the vehicle
ahead of you to prevent tailgating.

-- Keep your hands on the wheel. Obscene gestures often incite other
drivers.

Don't engage

-- Do not take other driver's actions personally. There may be a reason
why another driver is speeding or driving erratically.

-- Give aggressive drivers lots of space.

-- Avoid eye contact with aggressive drivers.

-- Get help. If possible, drive to a safe public place where you can park
and call police. Going to your home leads a potentially violent person
to where you and your loved ones live.

-- Do not get out of your car.

Adjust your behavior

-- Forget winning; driving is not a contest.

-- Give yourself plenty of time to get where you're going. Eliminate your
need to rush.

-- Practice relaxation. Soothing music and deep breathing help you arrive
at your destination in a calmer frame of mind.

-- If you find yourself driving angrily on a regular basis, ask for help.
An anger management course may dramatically change your attitude.

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