NETS Kicks Off Drive Safely Work Week™, Promoting ‘BACK TO BASICS’ Approach to Safe Driving
Vienna, Va. — The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) launched today its national Drive Safely Work Week™ (DSWW) campaign. The campaign is officially recognized this year from October 1- 5 and promotes safe-driving education and awareness materials for all employees and their families.
According to a 2010 CDC report, the annual cost of medical care and productivity losses associated with injuries from motor vehicle crashes exceeds $99 billion, much of which falls on employers.
This year’s DSWW theme, Back to Basics – Your Keys to Safe Driving, provides information and activities to address some of the most common types of traffic crashes across the general population, fleet drivers and teen drivers.
NETS provides a free comprehensive toolkit for employers to help plan their campaign activities. The materials encourage employees to refresh their own safe-driving skills, as well as to share the tools and resources provided with family members, particularly new or up-and-coming drivers in the household. The campaign also encourages employers to redistribute existing safe-driving policies or use the week as an opportunity to prepare employees for new policies that may be forth-coming.
“Having safe-driving policies in place is a crucial component of an organization’s safety culture,” said Sandra Lee, NETS Chair and Director of Worldwide Road Safety for Johnson & Johnson. “Drive Safely Work Week™ is an ideal time for employers to take a look at their policies–particularly those covering issues such as mobile device and safety belt usage—update them if necessary, and redistribute them to employees to renew attention and focus on safe-driving behaviors.”
The DSWW campaign focuses on the following issues:
- Buckling up all the time and encouraging others to do the same;
- Recognizing and preventing fatigue-impaired driving;
- Driving distraction-free;
- Safe parking and backing; and
- Fine-tuning the fundamentals to avoid some of the most common types of crashes.
“Much is being said these days about the dangers of distracted driving, yet responsible driving is more than driving distraction-free. This year’s Drive Safely Work Week™ campaign reinforces the wide range of skills needed to be a safe, responsible driver,” said Lee.
About Drive Safely Work Week™
Drive Safely Work Week™ has been sponsored by NETS since 1996. The campaign is held nationally each year during the first full week of October; however, the materials are not dated and may be used anytime throughout the year. In 2010 and 2011 combined, Drive Safely Work Week™ was downloaded by over 7000 employers, representing an estimated 25 million employees.
About NETS
NETS is a 501(c) 3 organization, a partnership between the U.S. Federal government and the private sector. The Board of Directors members include Abbott, AmeriFleet Transportation, Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, The Coca-Cola Company, Johnson & Johnson, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, Monsanto Company, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Group, and UPS, as well as federal liaisons from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Established in 1989, NETS is dedicated to improving the safety and health of employees, their families, and members of the communities in which they live and work by preventing traffic crashes that occur on and off the job. For more information on NETS, visit www.trafficsafety.org or contact jhanley@trafficsafety.org.
