May 28, 2023
The rental store driver was returning from a delivery down a long empty stretch of highway. There was a single lane of traffic for each direction. There were no cars as far as his eye could see. He glanced down at some items on the floor of his vehicle, back up, then over at the control for the air conditioner. He rounded a slight bend in the highway and glanced at the road, only to realize a vehicle was stopped in his lane of traffic. The driver slammed on the brakes and veered to the left but hit the parked vehicle hard.
Unknown to the rental store driver, a man who lived in the area had noticed a neighbor’s baby goat in the highway and had stopped his vehicle to help the animal. The man was able to jump clear of the accident with the animal in his arms, but it was a very close call.
Remind your drivers that even a few seconds of inattention can have catastrophic results. Traveling at 55 mph, looking away for 4.6 seconds results in a driver covering the distance of a football field blind. Likewise, remind your employees to use extreme care when working on or near a roadway. Many drivers are not paying attention and their lives could be on the line.
This item, provided by ARA Insurance, Overland Park, Kan., contains safety tips and is intended to help readers better understand and manage risk. For more safety and risk management information, customers of ARA Insurance can log on to ReSource. Access is free, so if you haven’t signed up yet, contact your agent or call 800-821-6580.
