Contributed by Susan Hipp, Executive Director, NETS and Lynda Morrissey, Operations Manager, NETS
November 5, 2025
The 2025 NETS Strength IN Numbers® Fleet Safety Benchmark Conference brought together some of the most influential voices in transportation safety, leadership, and culture. Held October 7–9, the event united corporate and government fleet professionals, safety managers, insurers, and technology innovators to share strategies that drive measurable results, and to reaffirm a shared mission: saving lives on and off the road.
A Conference Built on Connection, Culture, and Change
The annual conference featured a blend of sector-specific meetings, keynote addresses, technology demonstrations, and interactive sessions that addressed both the data and the human factors behind safer driving.
From the opening discussions on driver scorecards and AI video telematics to the closing Mock Trial exploring real-world fleet liability, every session reinforced a central idea: safety culture is not compliance, it’s commitment.
The conference’s first-ever Ride & Drive event gave participants a hands-on look at new fleet vehicles, advanced camera systems, and telematics platforms.
Rotating sessions included:
- Vehicle Displays
- Technology Talks
- Networking Roundtables
Building a Culture of Belonging and Commitment
Adding a motivational edge, Dr. Charlie Cartwright, founder of The Company Culture Doctors, presented his formula for sustainable safety culture. His keynote explored themes such as:
- Why Safety Is So Hard: The gap between compliance and true care.
- The Power of Belonging: Creating psychological safety and team trust.
- Igniting the Internal Flame: Turning “have to” into “want to.”
- From Policy to Passion: Leading with empathy to transform engagement.
Cartwright’s approach fused behavioral science with leadership psychology, giving attendees practical tools to overcome resistance, reset “factory settings,” and sustain momentum. His takeaway: “Commitment drives safety. Compliance only maintains it.”
The Human Impact: From Tragedy to Advocacy
The emotional cornerstone of the conference came from Pam O’Donnell, founder of the Catch You Later Foundation, introduced by Doug Smith of the Lutzie 43 Foundation.
O’Donnell’s keynote, “Turning Tragedy into Hope and Awareness,” told the powerful story of losing her husband and five-year-old daughter to an impaired driver, and transforming that grief into a national movement for distracted- and impaired-driving prevention.
As the first civilian in New Jersey’s history to be certified as a Police-Trained Commissioned Instructor, O’Donnell uses education, empathy, and enforcement to reach thousands of students and professionals each year. Her words were a reminder that behind every crash statistic lies a family, a story, and a choice that could have changed everything.
“Don’t let the people you make the memories with become the memories. Be the change you wish to see.” — Pam O’Donnell
Communicating Safety: The Marketing Mindset
Lisa Battaglia, Founder and President of Battaglia Communications, explored “How to Achieve Safety Results Through Strategic Marketing.”
Her message resonated strongly across both private and public sectors: that internal culture drives external safety performance.
Battaglia showed how aligning safety messaging with company mission and values fosters employee engagement, strengthens trust, and reinforces accountability from the inside out.
Drawing on her years of experience in transportation, logistics, and marketing, she demonstrated how internal communication can transform compliance initiatives into shared cultural values, creating organizations where every employee becomes a brand ambassador for safety.
Leadership and Data: The State of Road Safety in America
Lorraine Martin, President and CEO of the National Safety Council, delivered a data-driven keynote that traced more than a century of progress, and the urgent challenges still ahead.
Her chart of motor-vehicle deaths from 1913 to 2023 underscored the sobering truth: fatalities in 2021 (46,980) nearly mirror those in 1989 (47,575). Despite major advances in technology, human behavior continues to drive risk on the nation’s roadways.
Martin urged employers to use their influence to reverse this trend, citing the workplace as one of the most powerful venues for promoting safe driving behavior. Her leadership bridged aerospace precision with everyday road safety, underscoring that culture, training, and accountability must evolve together.
The Power of Benchmarking: Measuring What Matters
NETS’ Strength IN Numbers® Benchmark Report remains a cornerstone of the conference. The program gathers data from socially responsible companies that voluntarily share crash, injury, and fatality metrics to help identify best practices and cost-effective interventions.
Benchmarking enables members to:
- Compare crash and injury rates against industry peers
- Evaluate the impact of driver training and telematics adoption
- Identify trends in global fleet safety performance
This data-driven transparency empowers fleets to make informed decisions that reduce injuries, lower claim costs, and strengthen their overall safety ecosystem.
Innovation in Action: Telematics, Ergonomics, and Human Factors
Throughout the event, organizations showcased how AI, automation, and ergonomic design can complement human decision-making. Sessions examined real-time driver coaching, intelligent speed assistance, and the growing role of human-centered design in fleet operations.
For some sessions, sponsors presented alongside a NETS member organization, sharing case studies that illustrated how real-world fleet safety challenges are being addressed through collaboration and applied solutions. These joint presentations demonstrated NETS’ commitment to advancing practical, evidence-based approaches to safe fleet operations.
Panel discussions tackled grey-fleet challenges, mental-health implications for driver safety, and the next frontier of telematics analytics, all pointing toward an integrated, human-first approach to safety innovation.
Action & Momentum Focus
Across three days of insights and innovation, one truth resonated: safety culture must be lived, not laminated. The NETS community continues to model what it means to go beyond compliance, creating workplaces where drivers are empowered, informed, and valued. The result is more than reduced crash rates; it’s a long-term cultural transformation built on trust, accountability, and shared responsibility.
