Fight the risk

Anyone not concentrating on the task in hand risks causing an accident. The consequences of rash action during the daily commute to work or school or during in-plant transport and traffic activities may be devastating. With the launch of a new campaign, the German statutory accident insurance institutions are therefore seeking to increase people's responsibility for themselves and others. The motto: "Fight the Risk".

Almost 230,000 occupational accidents are recorded each year by the German statutory accident insurance institutions for the public, industrial and agricultural sectors during transport activities within businesses. Some 150 of these are fatal. To these are added 23,000 road accidents occurring during business journeys, which result in around 170 fatalities. The journey to work, school or university is also not without its hazards. Around 175,000 road accidents suffered by commuters on their way to work, school or place of study are reported each year to the German statutory accident insurance institutions. Over 500 insured individuals died in such accidents in 2008.

The accidents are frequently the tragic result of carelessness, time pressure, overconfidence, or even routine. For the statutory accident insurance institutions, the issue is clear: awareness must be raised of risks associated with driving and transporting tasks, and the concept of mutual responsibility reinforced as part of circumstantial and behavioural prevention activity. Together with their partner institutions, the German Road Safety Council (DVR) and the German regional governments, they have therefore launched the new "Fight the Risk" prevention campaign. The campaign will run in 2010 and 2011.