A Prince William County, Va., police officer involved in too many preventable automobile accidents spent a week helping the county's risk management division to gain perspective on the costs arising from his conduct.

Ordering the otherwise good employee, to help analyze the claims and costs the county incurs when officers damage police cars “opened his eyes quite a bit,” said Jay Lanham, assistant chief for the Prince William County Police Department's operations division.

A new police car with its required technology costs $50,000 and replacement takes months, which is time a car is not employed for patrols, Mr. Lanham said. Additionally, accidents expose the county to third-party liability and workers compensation expenses.

The disciplinary measure for the accident-prone officer offers just one example of how the county's risk management division works with county departments to reduce accidents and liability exposures by shaping employee behavior.

But it's not all punishment. The risk management division often works to reinforce good behavior.

“That is a big part of all of our jobs, to shine the light on people that are doing great things,” said Jennifer Boeder, an environmental specialist in the county's risk management division.

One way the risk management division does that under the direction of Lori J. Gray is by sponsoring an annual safety awards program and ceremony.

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The program's theme is to “catch people doing the right thing,” and the police department in 2012 took the county's highest honor — the Risk Manager's Award — for tallying the greatest average reduction in rates of occupational injuries.

The police department also was recognized with a safe driving award for its reduction of preventable collisions.

Anyone working for the county can nominate individuals or departments for the safety recognition. A county safety and health council selects the annual winners.

While the safety recognition represents the carrot approach, county supervisors, employees and their departments also are held accountable for work-related auto accidents that a collision review Committee deems “preventable,” Ms. Gray said.

Such accidents are noted in employee and department performance reviews, and there are financial penalties.

The county government self-insures its workers comp and liability risks through a pool into which county departments pay annual premiums for their share of coverage. Each time an employee is found responsible for a preventable accident, that department must pay an additional charge of up to $1,000 for their auto insurance coverage, Ms. Gray said.