Defensive driving training

PLAINS – A number of state employees took time out of their workday last week to receive some defensive driving training at the Sanders County Fairgrounds.

In total 52 state employees, including representatives from the Montana Department of Transportation and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, were on hand at the fairground’s pavilion for the safety workshop.

Leading the seminar was Mike Anderson, a loss prevention specialist with the Risk Management and Tort Defense Division of the Department of Administration in Helena.

The driver safety-training course ran all day and incorporated videos and activities to help state employees be prepared for potential hazards on roadways.

Anderson noted there are a variety of distractions to all drivers on the road and the safety course is a way to help employees handle unexpected scenarios.

“There are a lot of distractions when driving. Our goal is to minimize these distractions,” Anderson said.

Anderson who travels throughout the state and was recently running a safety course in Miles City, noted driving in Montana brings about its own specific challenges, including wildlife and inclement weather.

“You have always got to be on the lookout on the road,” Anderson said.

The course instructor kept those in attendance engaged throughout the workshop asking how individual drivers in the audience handled various driving scenarios.

Throughout the day a main point hammered home by Anderson was the importance of slowing down to prevent dangerous situations during both poor and fair weather conditions.

Summarizing the training’s main message of safety Anderson stated the main goal of the day’s workshop was to keep everyone safe as they go about their business on a day-to-day basis.

“The goal is to get everyone home at the end of the day,” Anderson said.