If your business needs company vehicles to do business, you pay the price. You need to protect your employees and the company. Upkeep and insurance can be costly whether you have a single deliver van or a fleet of trucks, trailers and equipment (check out some of North Dakota’s rates here – things can get pricey!). And you live with the risk of crashes — motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death and injury in the workplace. The cost to your business for a single driving incident could easily exceed $1.4 million. Yep, MILLION.

But we’ve got good news! The NDSC can help you save money and lower the risk of incidents and injury for your employees. We work with Workers Safety and Insurance (WSI) to provide discounts to businesses who take part in the WSI Safe Driver Program.

While you’ll invest in the safety classes, large and small organizations find significant savings through the 5% WSI premium discount. And your employees will not only be safer on the job, if they have any points on their license, our courses can reduce those too! Everybody wins.

Follow these five simple steps to lower premiums, lessen hassle and protect your employees:

1. Contact a representative of WSI at 701-328-7227 to discuss the process of completing steps 2-4.
2. Complete an application for the Safe Driver program before the beginning of the premium period.
3. Implement a Safe Driver Policy with the assistance of WSI.
4. Put a comprehensive Vehicle Maintenance Program in place.
5. Complete a NDSC, WSI-approved Defensive Driving Course online or in person! Click here to learn more or register for approved classes.

For more information and assistance, contact Terry Weaver, Driver Safety Manager at 701-751-6106.

Nearly one quarter of North Dakota’s population is employed in the agriculture sector. Of the 35 occupational deaths that occurred in 2018 in the state, 12 were in the agriculture industry, said Hanson. In that same year, 246 injury claims were filed, totaling more than $1.3 million. “Agriculture is an industry we need to reach to fulfill our organization’s mission,” she said. Mark Anderson, chief executive officer of FUI, agrees: “We want to do everything we can to prevent farmers and ranchers from being injured on the job. Awareness of what can happen in the blink of an eye begins with education, which we fully support to prevent the unthinkable.”

Anderson noted that Farmers Union Industries, based in Redwood Falls, Minn., is building the trailer that will be donated to NDSC by FUI.