The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) today kicked off its 2016 Drive Safely Work Week™ campaign, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the annual safe-driving initiative targeted to employers.
More than 2500 organizations representing approximately 13 million employees are set to take part in the week that promotes safe-driving education and awareness to all employees—company drivers and commuters alike.
The campaign comes on the heels of the announcement by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that traffic fatalities in 2015 increased 7.2% over the previous year, the greatest percentage increase in 50 years.
Motor vehicle-related incidents remain the leading cause of workplace fatalities in the United States and are responsible for 1.6 million lost work days per year, with 90% attributed to traffic crashes that occur off the job.
Employers have the opportunity to play an important role in reversing the recent increase in traffic fatalities,” said Joseph McKillips, Executive Director of NETS. “Driving is likely the riskiest thing any employee does on a daily basis.
Taking the time to remind all drivers that they are the most important safety feature in their vehicle is good for the health and safety of employees, it’s good business sense and it’s the right thing to do. The Drive Safely Work Week campaign gives employers off all sizes the opportunity to do just that.”
This year’s campaign is themed “Drowsy, Distracted or Focused—Your Decisions Drive Your Safety.” It calls on drivers to take a hard look at what they do behind the wheel, or before getting behind the wheel, that could be increasing their risk of a crash, starting with the significance of being well-rested. The issues of drowsy driving, distracted driving, speeding and the importance of wearing a seat belt on every trip are emphasized.
NETS makes available a free toolkit that includes an interactive driver–risk assessment, graphics, social media posts, PowerPoint presentations and more that may be downloaded at www.trafficsafety.org. Campaign materials are not dated so organizations can use them at any time throughout the year.
