ILLINOIS
Traffic Safety Includes the Workplace Symposium

 

PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS PROGRAM AREA(S)
  Easy to replicate
Targets hard-to-reach/at risk population
  Alcohol and Other Drugs
Occupant Protection
       
TYPE OF JURISDICTION    
  County    
       
TARGETED POPULATION(S) JURISDICTION SIZE
  Employers   11,895,849


PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In 1996, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of work-related fatalities in both the United States and Illinois. In 1995, the Bureau of Labor Standards revealed that, of the 45,439 non-fatal injuries reported in the United States, 43 percent resulted in employees losing more than 10 days from work. These data represent a combined cost to the economy in lost wages, productivity, property damages, and medical costs of more than $150.5 billion, annually. Two issues have been identified as contributing to the problem of workplace- related fatalities and injuries: driving under the influence of alcohol and nonuse of seat belts.


GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of the Traffic Safety Includes the Workplace symposium was to reduce workplace-related traffic fatalities and injuries in Cook County, Illinois. Objectives of the symposium were to:

  • Promote a dialogue among community leaders on the issue of workplace-related traffic fatalities and injuries
  • Develop a consensus among symposium participants that workplace traffic safety issues should be addressed
  • Encourage the creation of public-private partnerships between area employers and local government that focus on workplace traffic safety strategies


STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
On September 22, 1998, the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois hosted the first Traffic Safety Includes the Workplace Symposium. The symposium was conceived by the Circuit Court of Cook County as a step toward reaching national goals regarding reduction of alcohol-related fatalities and increasing the use of seat belts. It was attended by more than 120 representatives of businesses, government, law enforcement, health professionals, unions, and community leaders. The half-day symposium opened with a general session during which attendees faced the challenge of building partnerships to address workplace safety issues, specifically driving under the influence of alcohol and seat belt use. Following the general session, attendees were offered a choice of two workshops:

  • In one workshop, driving under the influence issues were presented, and the film, Wasted, produced by the Circuit Court of Cook County, was shown. A panel discussion followed
  • The other workshop, presented by traffic safety experts from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Region 5 office, explored occupant protection issues. During a panel discussion, panelists related real-life experiences and the costs of not using seat belts

Following the two workshops, attendees reconvened in a general session to finalize commitments regarding workplace safety and discuss possible barriers to implementation.


RESULTS
The Traffic Safety Includes the Workplace Symposium generated new partnerships among police departments, banks, businesses, real estate firms, hospitals, insurance companies and schools—all formed to address workplace traffic safety issues and work toward reaching national goals.
 

FUNDING
  Section 410:
Section 402:
$692
$1,185
CONTACT  
  Pamela Burk
Team Manager
Illinois Department of Transportation
Division of Traffic Safety
3215 Executive Park Drive
Springfield, IL 62794
(217) 782–5853



NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

WINTER 1999