If you can get your people to be courteous to each other, you can get them to improve safety at the same time.
My travel takes me to the four corners of the North American continent as a safety attitude and safety management speaker. I get to witness, first-hand, some of the best and some of the worst safety behaviors - but none more prevalent than that of drivers.
My own anecdotal experience has shown me that people who drive luxury cars (Mercedes, BMW, Lexus etc) use their signal indicators less, changing lanes and turning corners without warning. They’re probably just too busy to reach for the signal. Volkswagen drivers have a need for speed - they will push you (tailgate) and blow past you given the chance. And pick-up trucks with big knobby tires usually have big knobby drivers who love to hear their testosterone-powered trucks revving. I have no empirical proof to back any of this up - but that doesn’t mean it’s not true.
On the roads, aggressive behaviors and a lack of civility seem to intensify at rush hour. In fact, right close to my home, the divided highway at rush hour was coming to an end, and the right lane I was driving in was closing. I signaled my intention to move over to the left lane and, after shoulder checking, I began to inch my car across the line. No sooner had I begun to move over than a car came up from behind quickly and blocked me from entering the lane. The old guy that was driving kept looking straight ahead. You could just tell he knew what he was doing and was purposely avoiding eye contact. I had no choice but to pull back and wait for the opening behind him.
Courtesy Is Vital To Safety
Without courtesy on the roads, there would be many more accidents, incidents and road rage. The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia found that to be the truth. When asked which signs of driver discourtesy they’ve experienced most in the last three months, the findings were:
- 82% - signaling late/not-at-all
- 73% - tailgating
- 63% - being prevented from merging
- 48% - being cut-off
- 26% - being honked at in anger
Numerous studies have shown that discourtesy can be one of the major causes of road-rage. But a lack of courtesy can show up everywhere when it comes to safety - not just in driving.
Courtesy Matters
A few years ago while working with Encana Energy in southern Saskatchewan, I was exposed to their Courtesy Matters® program focused on being a good neighbor in the areas where they operate. The program focuses specifically on dust, noise, traffic, gates, garbage, roads and leases and respecting neighbors. When you really think about it, it’s difficult to separate safety from being respectful and courteous to others. I mean, can you be safe and disrespectful at the same time? Can you be discourteous and still be focused on the safety of yourself and others around you? Safety and courtesy go hand-in-hand.
Not addressing the trip hazard or picking up the electrical cord laying on the ground is not only unsafe, it is discourteous and disrespectful as others may not see what you could have prevented.
You Get What You Give In Safety
As I have explained to thousands of meeting attendees during my keynote presentation, if you want to have a safe day, give someone else a safe day. It comes back to you. While you are creating a safe environment for others, you are creating a safe environment for yourself. Creating a safe environment is courteous.
If you give courtesy, you will create an environment where more courtesy follows. When people are being courteous to each other and respectful of each other, they are looking out for each other.
You get what you give - especially in safety. It’s a Karmic law. And I have proof. Days after the incident with the old guy who blocked me from the left lane, I spotted his car pulled over by the police at the side of the highway. A cop was handing the old guy a ticket. The Karmic gods will catch up to you.
You WILL get what you give. Choose to be courteous. Safety will follow.
"You get what you give" is one of ten Safety Attitude strategies from my safety meeting keynote presentation that your people can implement immediately.
Call me to talk about bringing all ten strategies to your next safety meeting.
