VIENNA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) today launched a free comprehensive online toolkit to help employers plan ahead for Drive Safely Work Week (DSWW), the October workplace campaign that seeks to improve the safety of employees, employee family members and their communities. The toolkit may be downloaded at: www.trafficsafety.org.
The campaign theme this year is “#PlanAhead - Your Key to Driving Safely.” Campaign materials underscore that planning may be the most critical leg of any driving trip, whether the trip takes place on the job or off. Emphasizing the importance of advance preparation, the campaign will help to minimize risks on the road and offers resources to help become a better planner for both business and personal travel.
“Planning is critical to safe driving from many different perspectives,” said Joe McKillips, Chairperson of NETS, and Director, Commercial Environment, Health & Safety for the global healthcare company Abbott. “It can be as simple as planning the best route. Other times it can mean planning for a designated driver, setting aside time with your teen driver to practice or talking to an older family member about the possibility of limiting their driving. These considerations and more are covered in this year’s campaign materials.”
The campaign was developed using the expertise of NETS’ member companies, collectively representing a fleet of more than half a million vehicles that travel in excess of 11 billion miles globally each year. Actionable steps are provided to help drivers be at their best behind the wheel.
The 2015 DSWW campaign’s daily areas of emphasis will help you to:
• Remember to take time to plan the journey – even those that feel routine;
• Prepare for driving situations that take you into unfamiliar areas;
• Take precautions to ensure you’re driving with a clear head;
• Learn to navigate the changes we all experience as we age and how they may affect driving; and
• Think through ways to plan ahead for driving situations that involve family members.
The free DSWW toolkit provides easy-to-use Web-based resources, including facts and tips, downloadable graphics, and activities tailored for each day of the campaign week. The toolkit also includes materials geared towards management to encourage the review of safe driving policies and guidelines, as well as integrating road safety into existing wellness programs.
About DSWW
Drive Safely Work Week is a corporate social responsibility initiative of NETS and its member companies. The campaign provides an opportunity for NETS to share some of the expertise of its member companies with other organizations, many of which may not have a formal fleet safety program in place. NETS draws from member practices used in the oil and gas, pharmaceutical, utilities industries and others to create materials intended for a diverse audience of public and private organizations of all sizes, targeted not just to business drivers, but all employees. Held annually since 1996, Drive Safely Work Week is officially observed during the first week of October — this year October 5-9. However, the materials are not dated and may be used anytime throughout the year. Over the past several years, an average of 3500 organizations have participated annually, representing 16.5 million employees per year. The DSWW 2015 toolkit can be downloaded at no cost via the NETS Website at www.trafficsafety.org.
About NETS
NETS is a 501(c) 3 organization, a partnership between the U.S. Federal government and the private sector. Established in 1989, NETS is dedicated to improving the safety 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. Board member companies include Abbott, AmeriFleet Transportation, Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, The Coca-Cola Company, Hess Corp., Johnson & Johnson, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, Monsanto Company, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Group, Shell International Petroleum Company and UPS. In addition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health serve as federal liaisons to the board of directors.
NETS is a member of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration, which provides guidance to the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 global initiative. For more information on NETS, visit www.trafficsafety.org or contact jhanley@trafficsafety.org.
