Sharing the Benefits of Corporate Driving Training with the Community

Abstract

Driving is the leading safety risk faced by all who drive or ride in vehicles and contributes to an alarming number of fatalities in the teen years. Parents are challenged to prepare their children for the task of driving; however, not all parents can provide adequate training. Availability and cost are issues; lack of appreciation of the risks involved, and overconfidence in personal ability are issues as well. The passing on of bad driving habits from parent to teen is commonplace. High school and postsecondary students are some of the highest-risk age groups for vehicular fatalities. Teens must be exposed to credible information and examples of good driving practices. Oil and gas (O&G) industry corporations and public service branches are required to deal with driving issues as part of their business. To be responsible and successful, they have had to develop programs that address the hazards of driving. They have developed tools that have been used repeatedly and effectively to reduce risk in sometimes extreme driving environments. Individually the knowledge and experience may be significant, while collectively it is extensive. Over the years they have learned invaluable lessons and ways of communicating these lessons to other drivers. It was this recognition and capability that encouraged BP, Schlumberger, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to make a difference with local high school students and their parents. The three came together with presentations and exercises that would hopefully impact both attitude and ability of young drivers. Lectures were provided on the theory of crash-free driving, the need for unimpaired attention and capability, and the importance of protecting vehicle occupants. Qualified instructors put the students and parents through the same intensive, practical exercises used for employees in the oil and gas industry. Introduction Vehicle crashes kill more people in Canada each year, making driving one of the leading safety risks we face in our lives each day. One of the highest-risked age groups of vehicular fatalities are high school and postsecondary students. As a parent, the responsibility of ensuring that you have made the right choices in ensuring that your child is trained competently can be overwhelming. Releasing a child for their "first" solo drive can be nerve racking enough under ideal conditions, but there are so many "firsts" for a new driver. The first time on wet roads, on ice, on snow, on washboard, on city streets, on rural gravel roads, in vehicle distraction, and the unpredictability of "the other driver." The new driver may have the tendency to push a vehicle to its limits. Has the driver had sufficient training to have the attitude to resist this urge? With these risks in mind, an O&G company, a service company, and the police came together to make a difference with local high school students and their parents. The motivation to participate in the program by the three organizations is based on their current operations in the local community and their desire to give back to that community, along with their goals to reduce driving incidents for their employees and the community. Credibility The three sponsors of the program drive more than 100 million km (62,140,000 miles) in a year in Canada. Driving in all weather conditions and on roads that are almost impassable as part of routine business identified to the students that the company requires their drivers to have a high skill and awareness level. This set the stage for the students to realize that there was something new and challenging being offered. Candidate Selection Rural schools were chosen to participate in this training based on fatality data gathered in Alberta over a 3-year period (January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2002) involving 800 fatal motor vehicle collisions, resulting in the deaths of 968 persons and seriously injuring 486 persons. The data trends identified that:95% of fatal vehicle collisions occur in rural areas48% were unprotected by seat belts23% were alcohol related.