HCMC - Trauma Prevention Programs

Worksite Traffic Safety Challenge

For the past four years, Hennepin County Medical Center has collaborated with employers in Hennepin County to adopt a comprehensive traffic safety promotion program. The goal of the Worksite Traffic Safety Challenge (WTSC) is to increase seat belt use, while decreasing impaired and distracted driving crashes in the working sector. By targeting the businesses, we hope to get the message about seat belts and sober driving to the sector of the population we see most at Hennepin/Minneapolis for major trauma (22-50 year olds).

In 2006, of the 13 businesses that participated, five documented a 10% increase in observed seat belt use after the month-long campaign, while seven companies achieved a >90% use rate.

We have several companies that state this is the most comprehensive and successful traffic safety program they have used and they now participate yearly. The WTSC is also a great venue to get information to parents of teens and younger children as we provide speakers on these topics as well. It is often difficult to find time in a busy parent’s schedule to talk about safe diving for their children/teens, but when it comes up on their work computer screen or on + a table tent in their cafeteria, they do pay attention.

For more inform on the WTSC, contact Julie Philbrook at julie.philbrook@hcmed.org, 612-873-8500 or Nancy Franke Wilson at nancy@frankewilsonconsulting.com, 763-545-2684.