Minnesota Safety Council: Drive Safely Work Week: Employers Urged to Promote Traffic Safety

Drive Safely Work Week: Employers Urged to Promote Traffic Safety

(October 6, 2009, ST PAUL, Minn.) – The most dangerous thing most employees do each day is drive to and from work. That's why the Minnesota Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) is promoting national Drive Safely Work Week, October 5-9, designed to help employers emphasize the importance of driving safely both on and off the job.

"Every day thousands of drivers make the decision to multi-task, speed, tailgate, run red lights and take their aggression out on other drivers, putting themselves and others at risk," said Lisa Kons, coordinator of Minnesota NETS. "We encourage employers to help protect their employees and their businesses by promoting traffic safety this week and year-round."

This year's campaign theme is "Drive Focused - Drive Smart - Get Home Safely," with an emphasis on being aware of and minimizing distractions that take away from the driving task at hand. Kons urges employers to make use of traffic safety resources available at www.minnesotasafetycouncil.org/nets.

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of work-related death nationally and in Minnesota. Fatal and non-fatal crashes are estimated by NETS to cost American employers $60 billion annually.

Drive Safely Work Week is coordinated by the national Network of Employers for Traffic Safety. The Minnesota Network of Employers for Traffic Safety is a project of the Minnesota Safety Council and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety.

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