#PlanAhead for Drive Safely Work Week 2015

How do you plan to celebrate Drive Safely Work Week? Don’t know? Haven’t thought about it yet? Well, you are in luck. This year, we are posting our blog in advance of the annual observance that encourages safe driving on and off the job (October 5-9, 2015) to give you plenty of time to prepare. Drive Safely Work Week is sponsored by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS). This public-private partnership engages employers in preventing motor vehicle crashes on and off the job.

Did You Know?

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of workplace fatalities in the U.S., and the second leading cause of unintentional fatal injuries off the job.
• Employers have the opportunity to directly reach more than half of the driving population—even more when information is extended to employee family members and the community.

How to Get Started

This year’s Drive Safely Work Week campaign, #PlanAhead: Your Key to Driving Safely, underscores the fact that planning may be the most critical leg of any journey, whether that journey takes place on the job or off. Whether you are a business owner or an employee, the campaign will help you to minimize risks on the road and offer resources to help you become a better planner for both business and personal travel.

Check out the DSWW 2015 Toolkit which includes:

• Tweets, graphics, email blasts, handouts, etc.
• Materials tailored to each day’s specific driving topic: 
  • Monday: Making a Plan 
  • Tuesday: Driving Outside Your Comfort Zone 
  • Wednesday: Plan Ahead to Have a Clear Head 
  • Thursday: Navigating the Road to Becoming a Mature Driver 
  • Friday: Planning Ahead for Family Road Safety
• Safety resources designed for employees to use at home and at work

The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety is a valued partner of the NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety, which coordinates research and prevention activities across the Institute to reduce the toll of work-related motor vehicle crashes. For more information from NIOSH, visit the NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety website. During Drive Safely Work Week follow us @NIOSH_MVSafety as we tweet #PlanAhead tips. How do you keep your employee drivers safe at work? Share your strategies in the comment section below.

Rebecca Olsavsky, MS  is a Health Communications Specialist Fellow in the NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety, and is based in the NIOSH Division of Safety Research.

Stephanie Pratt, PhD , is Coordinator of the NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety, and is based in the NIOSH Division of Safety Research.