Author Acknowledgement

This discussion paper was written by Georgia O’Connor during her Summer Internship in 2016/17 through the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) Research Office. From November to February, ARRB offers a Summer Internship Program to University students in order to further their professional development, as well as gain experience in working within the transportation industry. The NRSPP is a proud supporter of these types of initiatives and we very much enjoyed having Georgia on board.

Overview

The Power of Incentives in Improving Workplace Road Safety is a discussion paper the effectiveness of incentives measures to motivate behavioural change within fleet drivers, towards safer driving practices. The paper looks at; methods of motivating behavioural change through the hierarchy of human needs; the elements of an incentives program within a safe driving program; the benefits of an incentives program; types of incentives programs currently used by organisations; the challenges and considerations that incentives can pose; and the importance of safety maturity and a safety culture within an organisation.

The Power of Incentives in Improving Workplace Road Safety was developed through consultation with NRSPP Program Partners; Holcim, Santos, Down Infrastructure Services, Coca-Cola Amatil, the Blacktown City Council, and SA Power Networks. And using NRSPP Case Studies; Metropolitan Express Transport Services; and Hornby Transport Services.

The following are the key factors in a successful incentives program

  • Be clear and consistent in implementing a safe driving program
  • Good participation from the workforce
  • Get management buy-in
  • Be proactive in addressing issues
  • Get the culture right within the organisation
  • Use near-miss reporting to manage risks
  • Act on employee feedback and address concerns (where possible)
  • Make safety front of mind, guard against complacency

Workplace Road Safety Incentives, what do they mean?

Incentives differ from traditional rewards because benefits are conditional on employees’ future safe driving practices, rather than previous practices. Studies consistently show humans respond best to positive reinforcement.