Safety Takeaways From The SDMO Conference

• Open a dialogue between roadway users, transportation agencies and funding sources for support

• Brainstorm about educational ideas

• Initial discussions about revising standard operating procedures of the responders that service on-highway events

Practicing Prevention

The three-day conference mentioned above was designed to educate public officials about the ever-increasing dangers that roadside workers, including towers, face daily. The goal of this event was to open a dialogue designed to find solutions to this problem. Unfortunately, until we as an industry really begin to take our own safety seriously, we will never be given much respect or taken

• Bolster the cooperation across different disciplines (fire, law, tow, DOT)

• Draw more attention to the dangers of working roadside with safety perspectives taken back to each attendee’s agency, team and family seriously when we ask for help protecting ourselves.

The change must begin from within. At this meeting, several survivor stories were told, all with two things in common. First, no one set out that day to kill someone or to be killed, and second, there were complacency issues and personal choices that directly lead to their injury or death.

These points are not meant as a criticism of any of those injured or killed, but rather as a strong reminder that becoming indifferent and even comfortable about various risks and dangers can be deadly. A few of the victims admitted to making mistakes that contributed to their injury, as did several of the drivers that were the perpetrators of these injuries and deaths.

Contributing Factors

So why do we still see events like this daily? Safety has been discussed at length, but the message is still not getting through. As it turns out it isn’t the safety message itself, but rather how the message is delivered that’s broken. Anyone that has done something the same way without consequences their entire life is reluctant to change. No one wants to be nagged about anything and let’s face it, many of our safety talks come off as nagging.

The same can be said about the current messaging towards distracted driving. We know it is risky, yet we still do it because we usually get away with it and don’t suffer any consequences.

Another human tendency that contributes to this problem is that danger is exciting. This is why so many people love roller coasters, racing of all sorts, or any number of other thrills. Controlled danger can be a great form of recreation; however, our public roadway is not a controlled environment so anything that increases danger is also very hazardous.

Early Education Efforts

Until we focus our energy on education and cultural shift, “D-driving” will continue to be a plague on the highway. Cindy Iodice, Founder of Flagman, Inc., asked us to “think about previous safety campaigns like Click It or Ticket, where the educational efforts began with grade-school aged children,” she stated. “These efforts resulted in a cultural shift, a different state of mind surrounding acceptable behavior in a vehicle.” While this program alone did not fix everything, it was a monumental step in the right direction.

In addition, everyone needs to make a conscience effort to promote better driving behaviors. In simple terms, don’t drive distracted or when tired, stop having meetings or phone calls while driving, and practice SDMO and other safe driving behaviors.

We can no longer afford to pretend that we are excellent drivers and still allow multitasking. The human mind is not wired to multitask. People are serial processors, meaning we need to jump from task to task rapidly instead of devoting resources to managing more than one task at the same time. While it may seem like you are multitasking, your responses are more likely the result of muscle memory and internal automation—not a conscious decision that is safe.

Setting The Example

Modeling safe, professional, and courteous driving behaviors is always critical, and not just when you are in your tow truck. Your children, spouse and other motorists are watching and learning. How often do you see everyone begin to move over after one vehicle takes the initiative to do so? This behavior is how humans work; they model the behaviors demonstrated around them. This fact holds true especially for children. How often have you noticed a child imitating their mom, dad or another favorite family member? We may laugh, especially when they imitate questionable behavior, however this clearly demonstrates that the old adage, “more is caught than taught” is true! This applies to our fellow adults as well. Your team, family and friends will imitate what they see, especially when you are in a leadership role, so always be aware of the message you are sending.

Along these same lines, it is also time to retire the “safety cop” approach to our safety. This is where a fundamental shift in culture is needed, as noted by John Drebinger, author of Would You Watch Out for My Safety?

“When people want to do something, they’ll do it whether somebody’s watching or not,” he observed. “If people are doing it because it’s a regulation or a rule, they’ll do it when they’re being watched, or they think someone will know. That whole mentality is about catching people, and it’s not economically feasible to have enough people going around catching others doing unsafe things.”

Do The Right Thing

When we no longer do something because it is a rule, but actually do the right thing even when no one is watching, we have truly achieved a shift in mindset. Why we do something is the key component to an effective safety program, as humans need to know the reasons that they should do something.

Now, all of this is not to say that physical safety precautions are not needed. Exactly the opposite! The roadways are only becoming more dangerous each day, and until we can achieve the utopia of a cultural shift, towers (and everyone else) it is our duty to take every precaution possible to protect ourselves, our customers and the general public.

Friendly Reminders

When working outside of our vehicle we need to always have an eye on traffic and be ready to take cover instantly. Never turn your back on traffic, always have an escape plan and think about it often so it becomes second nature, instinctual even. Colored lights, signs and even physical barriers are not always enough to provide protection, but the more means of protection you deploy the more likely you are to come home safe.

On the subject of physical barriers, there have been several recent discussions about the benefits of the towing industry using barrier trucks, also known as blockers or crash attenuators. While not every state allows for towers to set up TTC (Temporary Traffic Control) measures, if your state does allow them, it’s a smart move to investigate how to implement this technology. It could be a lifesaver.

On the other hand, a tow truck or carrier is not a safe or effective crash attenuator and should not be used as such. While the sentiment of “blocking for your brother” is commendable, it is a dangerous practice that exposes you, and your company owner, to serious legal liability in the event of a crash. Also, it could result in serious injury to other motorists and likely is not lawful in your state. For the safety of all involved, only approved trafficcontrol measures and appropriate physical barriers should be used. All told, be the example you wish for others to follow.