Date
ABC Company
Attn: Safety Manager
RE: NSC Defensive Driving Course, DDC-PC – Value Statement
Dear Safety Manager:
As you are aware, motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of work-related fatalities
and represent the highest average worker’s compensation claim than any other cause of
injury. However, there are also significant employer costs associated with employee offthe-job collisions and injuries, which represent more than 40% of the total employer
costs. Unfortunately, the statistics are as follows. 1 out of 9 of your employees will be
involved in a collision each year. For every 1,000 people you employ, 10 will be injured
in a collision each year. For every 52 injuries, there will be 1 employee death.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, the annual
employer costs of motor vehicle collision injuries, on-the-job and off-the-job, is an
average of $350* per employee.
Applying the above statistics to your employee population of approximately 10,000,
within the next year-
ABC Company employees will be involved in over 1100 collisions.
Those collisions will result in 100 injuries.
Those injuries may result in 2 deaths.
The cost to the ABC Company will exceed $3.5 million.
The National Safety Council’s Defensive Driving Course** has been statistically
validated to reduce collisions in excess of 20%. With the introduction of the Internet
version of our DDC-PC course, it is now feasible and economical to provide defensive
driving training to large employee populations.
By offering our course to your employee population, it is feasible that ABC Company
employees will experience 220 fewer collisions and avoid 20 injuries in the next year
alone. This can save the ABC Company $700,000 and probably save a life.
Sincerely,
*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, What Do Traffic Crashes Cost,
Report No. DOT 808 478.
**Validation studies based on National Safety Council’s eight-hour, instructor-led
Defensive Driving Course, DDC. DDC-PC is based on the same content as DDC.
Defensive Driving Course, DDC-PC, Now Available on the Internet
ABOUT THE COURSE
The National Safety Council’s personal computer based Defensive Driving Course,
DDC-PC, is based on the same content as the eight-hour, instructor-led course. The
instructor-led course was introduced in 1964 and is continually updated to reflect
the latest safe driving topics such as road rage, child safety systems, ABS, and
other technologies that affect vehicle performance. No other driver improvement
course has a higher rate of success in reducing the severity and frequency of
collisions for its graduates. The personal computer version was first introduced in
1992, in a partnership with Professional Development Associates, and receives the
same continuous updates. DDC-PC is now available on the Internet. The online
course is hosted by Learn2.com and utilizes proprietary multimedia streaming
technology, enhancing the course with sound narration. The Internet version of
DDC-PC provides the most comprehensive and engaging learning experience for the
user versus any other computer based driver improvement course available.
COLLISION FACTS
Most employers are aware that motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of
work-related fatalities and represent the highest average worker’s compensation
claim than any other cause of injury. However, there are also significant costs
associated with employee off-the-job collisions and injuries, which represents more
than 40% of the total employer costs. Unfortunately, NHTSA statistics are as
follows:
•
1 out of 9 employees will be involved in a collision each year.
•
For every 1,000 people employed, 14 will be injured in a collision each year.
•
For every 102 injuries, there will be one employee death.
• According to NHTSA, the annual employer costs of motor vehicle collision
injuries is an average of $350 per employee.
BENEFITS AND ADVANTAGES
The National Safety Council’s instructor-led Defensive Driving Courses have been
statistically validated to reduce collisions and moving violations in excess of 20%.
Implementing a proactive driver safety program will not only reduce employers
costs, potentially saving a minimum of $70 per employee, but will also reduce lost
time absenteeism and employers’ liability.
With the introduction of the Internet version of the DDC-PC course, it is now feasible
and economical to provide training to large employee populations, at multiple
locations, while maintaining one common database for student information. The
Internet version also eliminates the time and costs associated with downloading,
updating and maintaining the software in-house. Employees also have the flexibility
to take the course from any location, at their convenience, with minimum disruption
to daily workflow. The course has been designed with a bookmark feature allowing
students to complete a session of the course, log off, and log back on where they
left off at a later time.
Additional advantages of the Internet version include:
•
Low Cost – lower costs per employee than instructor-led classroom
training, as well as reducing travel time and expenses.
•
High Quality – same content as the eight-hour classroom course.
•
Increased retention – employees work and learn at their own pace using
interactive, stimulating animations and graphics enhancing comprehension.
•
Easy to Use – no computer expertise needed to install or take DDC-PC.
In addition, many insurance companies offer automobile insurance discounts to
individuals who have completed a recognized defensive driving program.
Participants should contact their agents to see what discounts are available to them.
Not only does your company benefit by reducing costs associated with employee
collisions, your employees may be able to benefit directly too.
THE OUTCOME…SAFER DRIVERS, FEWER COLLISIONS,
LOWER COSTS, AND LIVES SAVED.
DDC-PC COURSE OUTLINE
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INTRODUCTION AND PRE-TEST
SESSION 1: WHAT”S IN IT FOR ME? Identify risky driving attitudes and behaviors; the difference between good driving
and defensive driving; what it means to be a defensive driver; preventable collisions; three basic steps in collision avoidance
(Collision Prevention Formula); recognizing driving hazards.
SESSION 2: MAKING CHOICES YOU CAN LIVE WITH. Identify driver conditions that result in collisions and violations;
the effects of drugs on driving ability; why drivers choose safe and unsafe behaviors; the effects of impaired physical and
mental conditions an driving safety; techniques used to maintain control in adverse driving conditions.
SESSION 3: WHAT YOU DO IS WHAT YOU GET! Six most common driving errors; reasons drivers choose to speed;
alternatives to speeding; how to approach and safely proceed through all intersections; identify hazards involved in passing;
how to evaluate a potential passing situation; three steps needed to complete a safe pass.
SESSION 4: THE CONDITIONS THAT DRIVE US. Recognize uncontrollable driving conditions; identify hazards
associated with those conditions in time to avoid them; list driving maneuvers to help maintain control for each
uncontrollable driving condition.
SESSION 5: WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO? The benefits of using occupant restraints and child safety seats;
defensive driving strategies to avoid a collision in any given driving situation; identify personal behaviors and decisions and
the effects on future driving situations.
POST-TEST
Founded in 1913, and recognized by the U.S. Government in 1953 when it received a Federal charter, the National Safety Council,
a non-governmental, not-for-profit, membership organization, symbolizes the confidence and trust reposed by the U.S.
Government to continue and increase its efforts in work and activities that help make this a safer Nation. Since then, the National
Safety Council’s scope has grown to include highway, community and recreational safety, as well as occupational and
environmental health.
National Safety Council member organizations employ more than 30 million people, with 37,000-plus members including
businesses, labor organizations, schools, public agencies, private groups and individuals. In 1992, the International Safety
Council was established as a global subsidiary, to expand safety, health and environmental awareness to industries, associations
and governments worldwide.
In 1964, the National Safety Council first introduced the Defensive Driving Course (DDC). Since then, DDC has become the
Nation’s most successful driver training program in history. Industry, the courts, government agencies, municipalities and
schools use DDC to train drivers in defensive driving strategies. In fact, since the DDC was first introduced, over 50 million
drivers have learned critical collision prevention techniques from National Safety Council programs.
National Safety Council Corporate Headquarters, 1121 Spring Lake Drive, Itasca, IL 60143
Tel. (800) 621-6244, Fax. (630) 285-1139, www.nsc.org
Professional Development Associates (PDA) designs and develops interactive computer-based training courses for corporations
and governmental agencies. PDA developed the personal computer based Defensive Driving Course, DDC-PC, curriculum in a
strategic partnership with the National Safety Council. In addition to the DDC-PC for passenger car drivers, PDA also offers
Defensive Driving programs for truck drivers, school bus and transit bus drivers. Since the introduction of the first computer
based Defensive Driving program in 1992, PDA’s courses have met wide acceptance and are installed on hundreds of thousands
of personal computers. PDA’s customer base has grown to hundreds of organizations in every State of the Union.
PDA Corporate Headquarters, 4120 Telegraph Road Suite 200, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Tel. (248) 737-9600, Fax. (248) 737-4299
Learn.com is the leader in the creation and distribution of online advanced learning and training. The Learn.com suite of
products, which includes more than 1,200 training titles, provides an engaging learning experience to consumer and corporate
customers by allowing interactive multimedia and animated courseware to be accessed instantly on the Web. These courses are
also delivered on CD-ROM, LAN and video. Learn.com is also an Internet learning community that offers consumers tips and
step-by-step instructions on a broad spectrum of skills, activities and tasks, as well as immediately accessible multimedia
consumer training courses and tutorials. Corporations have access to the same high quality tutorials through Learn2University,
which includes additional features such as reporting and administration. Learn.com is located at www.learn.com and
Learn2University is located at www.stlu.com/learn2university.
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Learn.com, Inc., Corporate Headquarters, 14101 NW 4 Street, Sunrise, FL 33325
Tel. (800) 544-1023, Fax. (954) 845-9505