VIENNA, VA – Sponsored annually by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), Drive Safely Work Week (DSWW), October 6-10, is a nationally observed campaign designed to help employers emphasize the importance of driving safely both on and off the job to reduce preventable crashes. This year's campaign theme, "Take the High Road Share the Road. It Belongs to Everyone," addresses the special needs and considerations of vulnerable roadway users: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, truck drivers, and senior and teen drivers.

Every day thousands of drivers make the decision to multi-task, speed, tailgate, run red lights, and take their aggression out on other road users, putting themselves and others sharing the road at risk. These and other hazardous driving practices coupled with unsafe driver attitudes make the time employees spend in the car the most dangerous part of their day.

During the 2008 DSWW campaign, employers committed to "champion" road safety will promote the campaign's message to make their workforce more aware of the limitations and challenges that each road user faces whether they are traveling on four wheels or 16, two feet or two wheels.

During this special week, thousands of organizations will demonstrate their ongoing commitment to protecting the health and well being of their most valuable assets—their employees and their families.  Employees across the country will hear the share the road safety message each day of the campaign week with the DSWW materials available to employers at no cost via the NETS Web site, www.trafficsafety.org.

A significant new development in NETS' ability to promote road safety among its members year-round is coming in January 2009. NETS will introduce the STRENGTH IN NUMBERS Road Safety Benchmarking Program. NETS has brought together organizations willing to take a look at their own crash metrics, compare findings with other study participants, and share what they've learned with their peers.  This program is for all types of companies and organizations-large or small, local or global, public or private.

Benchmarking will show how a company compares in terms of crash, injury, and fatality frequencies, while taking into consideration Program Elements, such as road safety policies, driver training programs, use of in-vehicle electronics, crash review practices, cell phone usage, management leadership, the "greening" of fleets, and more.

Members will use what they learn to identify best practices and to put in place a cost effective, integrated, and comprehensive plan to improve their fleet-safety performance year after year. The STRENGTH IN NUMBERS Benchmarking program also includes many other valuable features, all designed with road safety and an employer's bottom line in mind.

Drive Safely Work Week 2008 Sponsors

• AmeriFleet Corporation

• Anheuser-Busch Companies

• Chubb Group of Insurance Companies

• General Motors Corporation

• Johnson & Johnson

• Liberty Mutual Insurance Group

• Monsanto

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

• National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health

• Nationwide Insurance

• UPS