April 2020 Summaries of timely road safety news, events, and alerts

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Message from NETS' Executive Director, Joe McKillips

Road Safety Colleagues, As we navigate the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, I hope this finds everyone safely working through these challenging and uncertain times. Rightly so, the pandemic has caused all of us to step back and assess what we can do to not only broadly serve our respective organizations, but also to continue our critical roles as dedicated road safety professionals. To assist with this, NETS has taken the liberty to incorporate within the newsletter below a number of COVID-19 related road safety resources and articles that have become available over the past several weeks. I have also recently had the opportunity to participate in a variety of webinars and calls related to COVID-19 regarding the impact the pandemic is having on road safety issues. What I have witnessed has been nothing short of amazing as the positive and resolute attitude of everyone has been impressive. The passion towards road safety remains strong which is a great sign as the risks have clearly not disappeared during these unique times. In fact, road safety challenges have flared even further with evidence of an increase in speed-related incidents. To help combat these challenges, NETS' Drive Safely Work Week campaign on the subject of SPEED is available to download directly from our website to be readily distributed across your organization.  Turning to recent matters within NETS, I am pleased to report our annual NETS Benchmark effort continues to come together nicely with an extension granted for data collection for those who need it due to the current situation. The benchmark portal will continue to remain open for the next few weeks enabling as many members as possible to submit their data. In addition, we have also given our organization’s web-site a major overhaul and migrated the site to its “new and improved” platform within the past few weeks. Website changes were designed with users in mind affording individuals accessing the site immediate clarity on the NETS mission of reducing risk and saving lives while at the same time giving finger-tip access to a number of relevant road safety resources, upcoming events and employer road-safety-related content. As a final note, a conversation among fellow NETS Board of Directors was also recently held with regards to our 2020 annual NETS Strength IN Numbers ® Benchmark Conference . At this time, plans remain on track for the conference to take place October 14-15th in Denver, Colorado. That said, NETS is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation and as the pandemic evolves, we will continue to communicate any changes or updates to conference events. We are also exploring virtual conference options and creative engagement efforts if need be as the safety and well-being of conference attendees takes priority above all. Thanks again for your tireless efforts during these unique times and I wish continued good health and wellness to everyone in the weeks to come.

NETS ANNOUNCEMENTS

Focus on Health and Wellness with NETS Driven to Wellness Toolkit During this time of pandemic crisis, the health and wellness of your employees is likely a top concern. Employers can take action to encourage employees to develop and maintain their general health and reduce stress by using the information and materials provided in the Driven to Wellness toolkit. This includes reaching a healthy weight, being more active, quitting smoking, getting to bed earlier, or starting and maintaining other habits of good health.   Access the Driven to Wellness Toolkit

Hold the date for NETS 2020 Strength IN Numbers® Conference! October 14 & 15, 2020 Westin Denver International Airport Denver, Colorado ***State of the art location and venue with convenient and seamless access to downtown Denver and surrounding area attractions*** NETS is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation but is proceeding with conference planning at this time. As the situation evolves, we will continue to communicate any changes or updates to conference events. Additional details coming soon including conference registration and hotel reservation links. More information, as available, can be found on our conference page: https://trafficsafety.org/conference/2020-strength-in-numbers-annual-conference/

COVID-19 RESOURCES FOR EMPLOYERS

The coronavirus pandemic is a difficult situation for everyone, but it has created particular challenges for employers trying to maintain business operations while still keeping their employees and family members safe. NETS understands these challenges and realizes while the focus of road safety has shifted due to COVID-19, fleet safety is still a priority for employers continuing to maintain their business plan. Therefore, we are providing links to the following resources which may be helpful during this trying time.

COVID-19 Transport Toolkit Driving for Better Business, in partnership with FleetCheck, has created a unique toolkit to give fleets an overview of all the major issues with links to many additional resources. We will be adding to the toolkit with more resources and advice... Read more www.drivingforbetterbusines...

NSC Guidance for Employers: COVID-19 and the Workplace The National Safety Council has announced a multifaceted effort to help employers create safe workplaces in a post-coronavirus world. Read more www.nsc.org

Business Leaders Must Protect America's Workers National Safety Council President and CEO Lorraine Martin issued the following call to business leaders across the country to take aggressive action to ensure employee safety from COVID-19. In a survey conducted this week, over 70%... Read more www.nsc.org

Eight Viewpoints on Mobility Post Coronavirus We asked eight experts from the travel, transportation, and mobility spectrums: Will the pandemic accelerate certain mobility options, or will latent hesitancies exist from a health/safety standpoint that will dampen the market for a long time? Read more www.fleetforward.com

Fleet Europe COVID-19 Survey: Worldwide Impact on Fleets This Covid-19 Survey Update has been developed to measure the evolutions of the worldwide impact of COVID-19 on our Fleet & Mobility Community. With this second part of the survey we hope to build up a picture of how our community is dealing with ... Read more www.surveymonkey.com

How COVID-19 Is Increasing Fleet Driver Risk Fleet drivers working through the COVID-19 lockdown are facing unprecedented risks due to anxiety and fatigue, according to a leading fleet safety expert. The coronavirus has seen drivers making essential deliveries work longer hours and make... Read more www.fleeteurope.com

Speeders Take Over Empty Roads - With Fatal Consequences As Americans remain at home, many roads in cities, suburbs and rural areas are practically deserted. But the absence of traffic is a seductive draw for one type of driver: speeders. Daily vehicle traffic dropped by two-thirds nationally from March... Read more www.pewtrusts.org

Coronavirus Is a Chance to Reshape How We Travel The transportation sector has been impacted as much as any by the coronavirus. This isn't a normal period of disruption, which is usually caused by failures in supply such as road accidents or industrial action. In this case it is the lack of... Read more www.fastcompany.com

COVID-19 Resource Center Automotive Fleet's coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic plus useful resources, all in one place. We will be updating this page as we add new COVID-19 content. Read more www.automotive-fleet.com

Can COVID-19 Teach Us Something about Road Safety Epidemic? Some observers have been drawing parallels between the coronavirus outbreak and the road deaths epidemic. But instead of comparing one tragedy against another, what if the lessons from the current COVID-19 crisis could help us tackle road... Read more blogs.worldbank.org

NETS SPONSORS

NETS is proud to partner with the following PLATINUM Fleet Safety Sponsors:

www.edriving.com eDriving is the driver risk management partner of choice for many of the world’s largest organizations, supporting over 1,000,000 drivers in 96 countries. Over the past 23 years, eDriving’s research-validated programs have been recognized with 70+ client awards around the world.

https://trucesoftware.com Mobile device distractions put employees in danger and companies at risk. So why would anyone settle for safety measures that simply report what went wrong, or only work when people remember to turn them on? TRUCE Software automatically suspends distracting mobile apps and functions depending on what your employee is doing, where they are working or even the workgroup they are part of. You define the policy and TRUCE ensures compliance when and where it’s needed. Supporting more than 100,000 subscribers and some of the largest brands worldwide, our patented technology is making workplaces everywhere safer.

Learn about all of NETS Fleet Safety Sponsors

LATEST ROAD SAFETY NEWS

US Sees Safer Roads in 2019 Road safety has seen a slight improvement in the US during 2019 compared with 2018. According to data from the National Safety Council (NSC), fatalities from road crashes in 2019 dropped 2% to 38,800 when compared to data from the previous year.... Read more www.worldhighways.com

Only 12 States Carry Gas Price Average of $2/Gallon or More As gas prices continue to push cheaper across the country, only one dozen states carry an average of $2/gallon or more. Today's national average is $1.77, which is four cents less than last week, 28 cents cheaper than last month and $1.11 less... Read more newsroom.aaa.com

WORKPLACE/ HOME ROAD SAFETY

Why Preventing Car Crashes Saves Everyone Money The COVID-induced drop in traffic crashes has saved thousands of lives - but it also saved society tons of hidden costs. Deaths from traffic violence have declined sharply because of the COVID-19 shutdown - and a new study shows that states and... Read more usa.streetsblog.org

Is It Dangerous to Drive While Sick? Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal and dangerous. According to the NHTSA, there were 10,511 deaths in 2018 due to drunk driving accidents. Drowsy driving isn't necessarily illegal, but it's still defined as risky... Read more thenewswheel.com

When It Comes To Distracted Driving, State Laws Aren't Equal "Distracted driving is dangerous," the federal agency said. "Texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that's like driving the length of an entire football field... Read more www.forbes.com

TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

A 3D Car Dashboard That Can Be Seen Without Glasses Continental, a German auto manufacturing company, partnered with Silicon Valley-based display technology startup Leia to create a 3D car dashboard that can be seen without wearing specialized glasses. Continental claims the dashboard allows... Read more www.businessinsider.com

A Novel Solution to Curb Phone Use by Drivers News flash: Cell phone use by drivers is dangerous. We all know that. A 2014 survey conducted by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed that 398 drivers were killed and 33,000 drivers were injured in accidents due to cell... Read more www.zdnet.com

Benefits from Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Are Growing Advanced systems are eliminating more crashes as technology improves, a new HLDI study of BMW models shows. However, the impact of partial automation remains murky. Collision avoidance systems are eliminating more crashes as the... Read more www.iihs.org

Why Waymo Gave Up On Driver-Monitored Autopilot Around 6 months after Tesla's Autonomy Day, Waymo CEO John Krafcik gave a presentation to German auto giants that he was seeking to partner with. A video clip of this presentation, provided by Third Row Tesla, shows the CEO explaining why Waymo... Read more cleantechnica.com

GOVERNMENT AND NON-PROFIT AGENCY NEWS

Utility Trailer Earns IIHS Award for New Standard Underride A new rear underride guard from Utility Trailer earns the IIHS TOUGH GUARD award. The new guard comes standard on all dry vans, refrigerated vans and flatbeds manufactured after December 2019. Read more www.iihs.org

Pedestrian Safety Concerns Arise While Social Distancing With fewer cars on the road and more people spending time indoors, safety concerns for pedestrians are beginning to take hold. Pedestrian Safety Concerns Arise While Social Distancing Story by Adam Tuss April 17, 2020 Read more www.ghsa.org

INTERNATIONAL ROAD SAFETY

How to Cut Fleet Insurance Costs During COVID-19 With businesses in lockdown, corporate cashflow under pressure and many company cars and vans at standstill, fleets and insurers are investigating premium rebates, discounts and holidays on insurance policies. Two months (at least) of no traffic... Read more www.fleeteurope.com

Temporary Relaxation on Enforcement of Drivers' Hours Rule In response to unprecedented pressures on local and national supply chains, the Department for Transport has pursuant to Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, introduced a temporary and limited urgent relaxation of the enforcement of EU... Read more www.gov.uk

INTERNATIONAL ROAD SAFETY PARTNER NEWS

Resources to Help Fleets Address Drink- and Drugged-driving Fleet operators are being encouraged to step up their drug and alcohol policies with the help of new resources from the Global Fleet Champions campaign, to raise awareness of how fleets can protect themselves, their drivers, and the public from... Read more globalfleetchampions.org

UPCOMING TRANSPORTATION SAFETY EVENTS AND CAMPAIGNS

NHTSA Postpones Scheduled Traffic Safety Campaigns NHTSA recognizes that States and our law enforcement and first responder partners are working tirelessly to respond to the current public health emergency. In order for States to prioritize public health, NHTSA is postponing its currently... Read more www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov

4th of July: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving Americans love to celebrate the 4th of July with family, friends, food, and fireworks. But all too often the festivities turn tragic on the nation's roads. This iconic American holiday is also one of the deadliest... Read more www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov

Child Passenger Safety Week: September 20-26, 2020 NHTSA has launched a new series of public service ads (PSAs) that urge parents and caregivers to protect their child's future at every stage of life, by making sure they secure them in the correct car seat for their age, height, and weight. Read more www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov

Do you have a particularly successful road safety example to share? NETS Members are encouraged to share best practices, ask questions or contribute their expertise to the NETS Road Safety Leaders Forum, an online discussion forum exclusively for NETS Members and Sponsors. Not yet a member? Check out the benefits at  www.trafficsafety.org/Membership .

Note from the editor: All links to stories have been tested and are active 24 hours prior to distribution; however, links may become inactive over time at the discretion of the publication source.

About NETSWork® NETSWork is published electronically each month by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, Susan Gillies, editor, and Joe McKillips, Executive Director.

Network of Employers for Traffic Safety 344 Maple Ave. West #357 Vienna, VA 22180 703-755-5350 www.trafficsafety.org nets@trafficsafety.org

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