drive focused. drive smart. get home safely.

DSWW

communication tools

Two press release templates are provided. Text is below.

Message to Employees from CEO/President (15kb)

Campaign Participation Press Release (26kb)

Community Relations Press Release (30kb)

Download all suggested daily messages (30kb)

 

Message to employees from CEO/President

Drive Focused. Drive Smart. Get Home Safely.

To our Valued Employees:

At work, you’re an important part of the team. Each one of you makes a contribution that helps our organization run smoothly and when you’re not here, you are missed. Whether you drive for work or just to and from work, the time you spend driving is the most dangerous part of your day. In fact, every week nationwide, 20 people lose their lives and another 250 are seriously injured as a result of a traffic crash during their workday.*

Your work family depends on you, and chances are, we are not alone. Whether it’s your children or grandchildren, your spouse, your parents, your dog, your cat, neighbors or good friends, someone is counting on you to get home safely every day. Because your health and safety are vital to all of us, [THIS/NEXT] week, we’re participating in Drive Safely Work Week.

Life is busy. These days it seems the demands on our time are ever increasing and the pressure to accomplish more in a day has never been greater. But when we’re behind the wheel, driving should not take a backseat to other activities. Research shows that driving while distracted is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes. In fact, four out of five crashes and more than half near-crashes involve some form of driver inattention.**

During Drive Safely Work Week, in addition to concentrating on driving focused, we’ll also be emphasizing the importance of eco-friendly driving – driving smart to conserve fuel and reduce the impact our driving has on the environment. Just by learning and following a few simple driving tips, you can reduce your fuel consumption by an average of 15%.***

Although the campaign will officially run for one week, I hope its messages and driving tips will hit home with you and that you will take them home to share with others so that this week and every week, you Drive Focused – Drive Smart – and Get Home Safely.

I’m willing to bet someone special is waiting for you to get there.

 

Safe Travels,

 

Your CEO/President

 

 

Campaign participation Press Release

(COMPANY NAME) promotes employee safe driving by encouraging workers to Drive Focused, Drive Smart, and Get Home Safely

(CITY, STATE) -- Recognizing that safe and smart driving is important for its employees and the entire community, [COMPANY NAME] is joining other leading organizations across the nation to conduct a series of educational activities during Drive Safely Work Week, Oct. 5-9.

“Whether our employees are driving as a function of their job, or just commuting to and from work, the time they spend behind the wheel can be the most dangerous part of their day,” said [EXECUTIVE NAME, TITLE]. In fact, every 10 seconds there is a traffic-related injury and every 12 minutes someone dies in a roadway crash, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The theme for this year’s Drive Safely Work Week is “Drive Focused – Drive Smart – Get Home Safely.” The program, sponsored by the non-profit Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), communicates a variety of safe-driving practices, with the focus being on the danger of distracted driving. In recognition of the broader impact driving can have on society, the campaign this year will also provide employees with information on “green” driving—driving smart to reduce the impact of driving habits on the environment.

Federal Government studies have found that distracted driving is the number one cause of vehicle crashes, accounting for 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes. Work-related traffic crashes continue to be the number one cause of work-place fatalities, with more than 1300 fatalities in 2007 or nearly four every day, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

“We recognize that we have a responsibility to make a positive contribution by making our community a safer and more eco-friendly place to live and work.” said [COMPANY EXECUTIVE LAST NAME.] “We want our employees to be productive, but we are emphasizing that when they are driving, safety must be their overriding priority.”

The campaign is built around a series of daily messages, delivered to employees through a variety of methods, including voicemail, email, company newsletters and Intranets. Daily activities are also used to actively involve employees and increase awareness.

As part of the campaign, [COMPANY NAME] is encouraging employees to change their voicemail messages on their mobile phones to indicate they are either away from their phone or driving and will return the call as soon as they are safely able to do so. “It’s a simple thing to do,” said [SPOKESPERSON], “and it sends the message that while I’m driving, I need to focus on that task.”

Facts and tips related to distracted driving are delivered through the campaign and are designed to hit home with employees, encouraging them to drive safely so they get home safely every day. The campaign’s messages remind them that most likely, someone special is waiting for them at the end of the day.

Examples of the messages being communicated include:

  • Crashes that are the result of inattentive behavior are predictable, preventable and within the driver’s control. They are not accidents.
  • When you’re behind the wheel, you’re coordinating the actions of your hands, feet, eyes, ears, and body movements while deciding how to react to what you see, hear, and feel in relation to other vehicles on the road with you. Adding non-driving tasks to the already demanding task of driving is never a good idea.
  • Remember they’ll do what you do. Even if the kids are far from the driving age, demonstrate now the behavior you’ll expect later from them. Set the right example concerning the use of mobile phones and texting while driving and always be mindful of your precious cargo.

[INSERT PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATION’S BOILERPLATE]

Founded in 1989, the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) is an employer-led public-private partnership 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 both on and off the job. The only nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to traffic safety in the workplace, NETS provides organizations of all sizes and industry-types with guidance in developing or improving their driver safety programs. For more information on NETS, visit www.trafficsafety.org.

 

community relations Press Release

[SCHOOL NAME] helps [COMPANY NAME] employees drive green

[COMPANY] teams with local high school auto service students to provide workplace vehicle checks

 

[COMPANY NAME] is helping their employees drive a little greener this week by providing basic vehicle maintenance checks at their location in [CITY.] Automotive service students from [SCHOOL NAME] in [CITY] are conducting the inspections on [DATE.]

[COMPANY NAME] is offering the maintenance checks as part of Drive Safely Work Week, a national campaign sponsored by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, taking place this week. The campaign encourages employees to “Drive Focused – Drive Smart – Get Home Safely” and provides information on safety-related and eco-friendly driving practices.

A vehicle that is properly maintained is significantly more fuel-efficient than a vehicle that is neglected. The [SCHOOL NAME] students will inspect the oil level, tire pressure and tread as well as the condition of the air filter on employee personal vehicles.

“Our employees and the environment are two of our most important resources,” said [COMPANY EXECUTIVE, TITLE]. “We want to protect both by helping our employees operate their vehicles in a safe and efficient manner.”

In exchange for the assistance of the auto service students, [COMPANY] is donating a quantity of Novice Driver’s Road Maps to the school, a booklet developed for teen drivers and parents to help teens get the guided practice they need before hitting the road on their own. “Traffic crashes are the number one killer of teenagers,” said [EXECUTIVE LAST NAME.] “We see this as an opportunity to protect our community’s young people, while protecting our employees. After all, we’re all sharing the same roads.”

While the service checks are only being offered to employees of [COMPANY NAME,] [EXECUTIVE LAST NAME] urged all drivers to make certain that their vehicles are properly maintained. “We are hoping to set a positive example for the community,” [HE/SHE] said. “It is important that we all do whatever we can to reduce fuel consumption and help protect the environment.”

Tips for greener driving offered by the campaign include:

  • Accelerate gently: Smoother braking and fewer quick starts can have the greatest impact on improving your fuel economy.
  • Know when to use your A/C: At 40 mph and above, it is more efficient to use the air conditioning to keep cool. Below 40 mph, open windows are more efficient.
  • Lighten the load: Avoid keeping unnecessary cargo in your auto, especially heavy items such as golf clubs, non-essential tools and excess work-related supplies such as sales literature. An additional 100 pounds reduces your MPG by up to 2 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
  • Pump them up: Keeping your tires properly inflated can improve your fuel economy by as much as 3 percent.
  • Make them pay: Require teen drivers in the household to pay for their own gas. They will likely drive slower (and more safely) to conserve fuel.

In addition to promoting eco-friendly driving, Drive Safely Work Week focuses on the dangers of driving while distracted, a contributing factor in up to 80 percent of all traffic crashes according to the federal government.

[INSERT COMPANY BOILERPLATE]

Drive Safely Work Week is an annual workplace traffic safety campaign sponsored by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS.) Founded in 1989, NETS is an employer-led public-private partnership 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 both on and off the job. The only nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to traffic safety in the workplace, NETS provides organizations of all sizes and industry-types with guidance in developing or improving their driver safety programs. For more information on NETS, visit www.trafficsafety.org.

About The Novice Driver’s Road Map

The Novice Driver’s Road Map is a booklet developed by NETS safe-driving experts and is built around a series of eight practice drives progressing in difficulty. It provides a list of skills for each drive and instructions on how to perform those skills. The guided practice drives provide parents with an organized practical approach to coaching their teen’s drive time. In addition to the eight practice drives, the Novice Driver's Road Map also includes the Coach's Game Book-a compilation of important "need to know" preliminary information for the adult driving coach. For more information, visit www.trafficsafety.org.

 

 

*National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
**2006 NHTSA and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute Study
***EcoDrivingUSA.com

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©2009 Network of Employers for Traffic Safety