Ep. 536 Training Your Team for Safer Driving This Fall

Rancho Mesa’s Alyssa Burley and Client Technology Specialist, Brenda Colby, discuss keeping drivers safe during the back-to-school commute. 

Show Notes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Rancho Mesa's Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Alyssa Burley

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brenda Colby

Editor: Megan Lockhart

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “Breaking News Intro” by nem0production

© Copyright 2025. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcript

Alyssa Burley: You’re listening to Rancho Mesa’s StudioOne™ podcast, where each week we break down complex insurance and safety topics to help your business thrive.  

I’m your host, Alyssa Burley, and today I’m joined by Brenda Colby, Client Technology Specialist with Rancho Mesa, and we’re going to discuss keeping drivers safe during the back-to-school commute. Brenda, welcome to the show. 

Brenda Colby: Thanks, happy to be here. 

AB: Well, the summer break is coming to a close and as students return to the classroom, we can expect an influx of cars on the road. Why is the increase in commuter traffic a danger to our drivers? 

BC: Well, the fall months are a time to be extra vigilant behind the wheel as an increased number of people will be rushing to their destinations. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration--or NHTSA--reports the rate of fatal crashes and crashes which resulted in injury in 2023 peaked in the months of September and October. Drivers will likely encounter more school busses, cyclists, pedestrians, and teenage drivers still getting the hang of operating a vehicle than in the summer months. This means more distractions, more potential hazards, and more chances for risk. 

AB: Absolutely, it’s a good time for employers to remind their employees about the potential dangers on the road. So, how can an increase in traffic affect an employer and an employee? 

BC: Well for employers, on-the-job auto accidents can result in employee injuries, which can mean time away from work for the employee, and also mean loss of production for the company. And the frequency of auto claims has the potential to cause auto premiums to skyrocket. Another thing to consider for employees is, a history of auto accidents on your personal driving record can hinder your chances of being hired for roles that include driving as part of the job. 

AB: Yeah, and those are really both good points. And employers and their employees should actively work to prevent auto accidents. What should employers do to try and mitigate the risk of an auto accident? 

BC: So to keep drivers safe, and insurance premiums low, employers should take time to train employees on safe driving practices and highlight potential hazards they may encounter on the road. Rancho Mesa’s SafetyOne™ platform offers a variety of safety resources including online training courses and a library of 52 driver-specific toolbox talks, in both English and Spanish. And these trainings can be used as weekly safety refreshers, or to help correct specific unsafe actions.

If you want to address the increase in traffic during the fall months, a few toolbox talks we recommend include: Awareness of Pedestrian and Vehicle Traffic for Company Drivers, Right-of-Way Rules for Company Drivers, School Zone Awareness for Company Drivers and, Sharing the Road with Cyclists & Pedestrians for Company Drivers.

AB: Those are all really great suggestions. Plus, we now offer a free weekly driver safety email, so you can get driver-specific toolbox talks directly in your inbox every week.  And, we’ll add a link to subscribe in the episode notes. 

So Brenda, if listeners have questions about Rancho Mesa’s driver safety resources, what’s the best way to contact you? 

BC: As always, clients can contact me at bkhalil@ranchomesa.com or call me directly at (619) 486-6562.  

AB: All right, well Brenda, thank you for joining me in StudioOne™.  

BC: Thanks for having me! 

AB: Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by StudioOne™. If you enjoyed what you heard, please share this episode and subscribe. For more insights like this, visit us at RanchoMesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.