Message from NETS' Executive Director,
Susan Gillies
If you're reading this newsletter, you're likely already familiar enough with NETS to know that we're an employer-led organization working together to advance global road safety. One advantage of NETS membership is the broad range of industry sectors represented within our membership—members can network and share best practices both within their own sector, and across sectors to further advance their fleet safety programs. Over the last few years, NETS has expanded sector opportunities through periodic sector meetings, one of which is the Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) group.
To further this focus, we will be working with a Heavy Goods Vehicle sector group contractor, Randy Tomlinson, who recently retired from Ryder and has extensive expertise and is very well-versed in HGV issues. With his assistance, NETS will work to provide resources and information to NETS members with HGV fleets, including supply chain fleets, to address their road safety needs.
This month, we welcome a message from Randy for our opening newsletter article.
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Susan Gillies
Executive Director, NETS
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A Message from Randy Tomlinson, NETS HGV Contractor
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with NETS leadership and other interested members on the development of a Heavy-Goods Vehicle (HGV) sector group. My interest in this group derives from more than the 40-plus years I spent in the transportation and logistics industries. It stems from my underlying concern for traffic safety as a whole and my sincere belief that by bringing increased attention to this vehicle segment, NETS can play a major role in creating safer roads for everyone.
But as NETS members, we’re missing an opportunity.
While NETS membership numbers may not be as large as some fleet safety-focused organizations, we are not without serious representation in the HGV arena.
Of the 130 or so NETS member companies, there is a group of large for-hire and private-fleet motor carriers. In very round numbers, this group probably accounts for 160-170,000 heavy-goods vehicles and upwards of a quarter of a million drivers. That’s a lot of trucks and drivers and a lot of potential influence on highway safety. For this reason alone, NETS members should be looking to support and looking for support from an HGV-focused sector group.
If I’m correct about missing this opportunity to have a greater impact on road safety, it may be for two reasons. First, I’m not sure the safety folks who are engaged in NETS activities and who attend NETS conferences are the HGV safety folks. I may be wrong about this, but I would ask those who are active in NETS and who are reading this to ask the question. If yours is not a transportation company per se, do you have a fleet of heavy trucks and are the people responsible for that fleet engaged with NETS? If not, there’s an opportunity.
The second opportunity holds the greatest potential for NETS to become a major influencer in the area of HGV safety and therefore of road safety in general. Let’s look at some statistics.
- There are approximately 1.8 million for-hire and private trucking companies in the US. Of these, 97% operate 20 or fewer trucks. 90% operate six or fewer trucks.
- There are more than 15 million commercial trucks operating in the US, with more than 2 million of those being tractor-trailers.
- There are roughly 3.4 million commercial truck drivers in the US.
- In each of the last several years, there has been something in the neighborhood of 500,000 crashes involving HGVs, with about 5000 of those involving fatalities.
Without parsing numbers about whether HGVs are over or underrepresented in crash statistics, or whose fault these crashes are, we can see a couple of things that are relevant to my point about opportunities for NETS to grow in influence.
- If my estimates are anywhere close, NETS members employ only about 7% of the commercial drivers in the US.
- NETS member fleets represent only about 1% of the HGVs on the road.
- My bet is that fleets that are NETS members are already among the best in the country when it comes to having robust safety programs in place.
So how do we expand our influence? The military refers to it as a “force multiplier,” a factor or factors that when employed by a small team, makes that team significantly more effective than it would be without the factors. Our force multiplier is our membership. Not so much those who have fleets of HGVs, but those who employ fleets of HGVs.
A small percentage of NETS members actually have HGV fleets. However, a significant percentage of member companies have supply chains that overwhelmingly use trucks to move materials and goods. Members in the consumer goods, healthcare and oil and gas sectors have supply chains and logistics networks that employ literally thousands of trucking companies. In turn, these companies employ hundreds of thousands of drivers. My last dozen years with Ryder were spent working with many excellent partners in the oil and gas industry to establish safety and health standards within multifaceted logistics networks operating in complex environments. Participants in those networks shared philosophically and demonstrated practically, the same safety and health culture as Ryder and our business partners. And the results of these efforts were apparent in lower incident rates and higher operational performance.
My vision for a Heavy-Goods Vehicle sector within NETS is that it be comprised of not only participants who have fleets of their own, but more importantly, those members who have large supply chains. Such an organization would:
- Draw on the experience, expertise and excellence of those members in the transportation industry, compiling best practices in safety and operations.
- Explore with both carriers and supply chain owners the creation and implementation of safety and health standards, metrics and audits.
- Help all parties better understand and recognize the proactive elements and outcomes of effective safety management within the context of logistics management.
Given our membership, NETS could expand our influence to include literally tens of thousands of motor carriers and hundreds of thousands of drivers. The key is to challenge our thinking that if I don’t have a fleet of big trucks, I can’t influence truck safety – that if my company’s main business is not transportation, it doesn't have much influence. By introducing safety and health requirements and metrics into logistics contracts, NETS member companies can play a huge role in how trucking is done in the US and around the world.
In closing, I would ask that those who have worked on these types of programs encourage leaders in other companies and sectors to explore this opportunity. If leadership from your logistics department is not engaged with NETS, please encourage them to join us in our efforts to create an HGV sector group that will positively impact road safety and address essential HGV fleet issues.
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for NETS Hybrid Conference Event!
October 5~6, 2022
with optional in-person tours at MCity and UMTRI on October 7 included with your registration
SPECIAL CONFERENCE
PROMOTION AVAILABLE!
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*Current NETS member companies are encouraged to invite non-members to attend the conference. Both companies will receive 50% off their conference registration (a $300 value)!
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*Non-NETS members who register for the conference and join NETS will receive 50% off conference registration AND 25% off the annual membership fee (a value of up to $700)!
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NETS Members: $599
Non-NETS Members: $699
Government / Non-profit: $299
Virtual Only: $449
On-site registration: NETS Members $649, Non-NETS Members $749
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A special room block has been reserved for NETS Conference attendees at the rate of $154 USD plus tax. Reserve your room now! |
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Jean Todt, United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety
Conference Opening Address
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Honorable Michael E. Graham, Member, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
The Future of Connected Vehicle Technology: NTSB Perspectives and Case Studies
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Steven Kiefer, Chairman, The Kiefer Foundation
Stopping the Distractions: Why Distraction-free Driving Matters
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Lorraine Martin, President and CEO of the National Safety Council (NSC)
The State of Road Safety in the U.S.: NSC Perspectives
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Chris Mullen, Senior Director of Organizational Safety, Aurora
Managing Safety for Autonomous Vehicle Development and Deployment
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Responsible management of the relationship between data security, privacy compliance and driver risk management technology is one of the most important factors for both clients and drivers today. It's understandable for drivers to feel uneasy about being monitored or having their data accessible to others, and organizations must be prepared to prioritize and acknowledge these concerns as digital driver safety solutions evolve.
In this webinar sponsored by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), eDriving’s Senior Vice President of Privacy, Compliance and Analytics, Stef Campbell, will help organizations understand and address the various privacy concerns that arise throughout evaluation, approval, onboarding, and implementation of driver safety programs.
Expect to leave with a deeper knowledge of driver privacy laws and the tools to successfully address and balance legal obligations and individual drivers’ privacy.
You will learn:
- Why tending to driver privacy is not optional!
- Key privacy terms and definition
- The 50,000 ft. view of privacy & safety laws
- Why privacy law is one piece of a giant puzzle
- How to balance safety with privacy considerations
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How eDriving can help promote buy-in and ensure smooth implementation
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NETS is proud to partner with the following PLATINUM Fleet Safety Sponsors: |
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eDriving, a Solera company, helps organizations around the world to reduce incidents, collisions, injuries, license violations, carbon emissions, and total cost of fleet ownership through its patented digital driver risk management programs.
At its heart is the Mentor by eDrivingSM smartphone app that identifies risky driving behaviors for intervention and safe driving habits for recognition. In-app features include micro-training and coaching, gamification, collision reporting, vehicle inspections, and an individual FICO® Safe Driving Score validated to predict the likelihood of being involved in a collision. Mentor’s integrated automatic crash detection and Personal SOS features powered by Sfara and Bosch trigger a voice call and emergency support, as needed, from one of Bosch’s Global Call Centers supporting >50 countries. Through its five-stage, patented Crash-Free Culture® risk reduction methodology, eDriving helps organizations embrace safety and reduce risk for Sales, Service, Delivery and Warehouse drivers, all within a privacy-first, data-secure environment.
eDriving is the digital driver risk management partner of choice for many of the world’s largest organizations, supporting over 1.2 million drivers in 125 countries. Over the past 25 years, eDriving’s research-validated programs have been recognized with over 100 awards around the world.
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SOBRsafe’s mission is to save lives and create safer work environments.
The annual cost of alcohol abuse in the U.S. is $249 billion. Nearly half of all industrial accidents with injuries are alcohol-related, and 1-in-10 U.S. commercial drivers test positive for alcohol (the highest rate worldwide).
In response, SOBRsafe has developed an instantaneous and hygienic alcohol screening technology that integrates seamlessly with driver check-in/out processes. The employee simply places two fingers on the device, and within ten seconds, their identity is verified and the alcohol test complete. All scans are reported in real-time to a secure cloud-based portal, and supervisors are immediately notified via SMS and email if alcohol has been detected.
This comprehensive, uniform testing is allowing SOBRsafe customers to enhance their safety, reduce insurance premiums by up to 25%, and create a culture of prevention.
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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.
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New NHTSA Chief: Agency to Scrutinize Auto-Driver Technology
The new head of the government’s road safety agency says it will intensify efforts to understand the risks posed by automated vehicle technology, so it can decide what regulations may be necessary to protect drivers, passengers and pedestrians.
Read more
apnews.com
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WORKPLACE / HOME ROAD SAFETY
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Familiarity Breeds Safety When Driving Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles are how the UK will decarbonise most fleet activities, from grey fleet and company car pools, to light commercial vehicles and rigids. The only vehicle class where the jury is still out is the articulated or trunking HGV...
Read more
www.drivingforbetterbusines...
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2022 Fleet Risk Environment Resource
Managing fleet safety is now more important than ever. Is your organization placing as much emphasis on managing fleet safety as it should? Use this resource to assist.
Read more
www.mylosscontrolservices.com
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How to Keep Your Fleet Drivers Safer on the Roads
Driving is a popular job these days with more and more delivery services and other types of driving positions becoming available. As online shopping continues to boom around the world, more and more drivers are required to ensure that shoppers...
Read more
www.eyeonannapolis.net
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TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION |
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Ford Testing GPS Geofencing Tech to Curb Speeding
Ford is conducting a 12-month trial of its Geofencing Speed Limit Control system in Cologne, Germany, to test automated speed limit compliance. The experiment is confined to a number of areas in the city, as Ford partners with commercial fleet...
Read more
www.autoweek.com
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IoT Technologies Can Reduce Fuel Consumption, Improve Safety
The introduction of advanced technologies like the 5G and IoT has leveraged the automotive industry with a lot of possibilities. The sector anticipates lucrative revenue potential from the connected and autonomous vehicles that are the future ...
Read more
www.financialexpress.com
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How Safe Are Systems Like Tesla's Autopilot? No One Knows
Automakers and technology companies say they are making driving safer, but verifying these claims is difficult. Every three months, Tesla publishes a safety report that provides the number of miles between crashes when drivers use the company's...
Read more
www.nytimes.com
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GOVERNMENT AND NON-PROFIT
AGENCY NEWS
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Distracted Driving: GHSA, GM Calling for a Culture Change
GHSA and GM released a new report with a singular goal: Change the social norm around distracted driving to make it completely unacceptable so all road users get home safely. The report, which is one of the most comprehensive examinations to date...
Read more
www.ghsa.org
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NAFA: Fighting Back Against Catalytic Converter Theft
As part of its efforts to combat the dramatic rise in catalytic converter theft, NAFA has been actively working to convince Congress to hold a hearing on the Preventing Auto Recycling Theft (PART) Act. If enacted, the PART Act would deter theft and..
Read more
www.nafa.org
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INTERNATIONAL ROAD SAFETY |
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Declaration to Halve Road Traffic Deaths, Injuries by 2030
The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomes the political declaration to be adopted by Member States during the High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on Global Road Safety. It commits to cut road traffic deaths and injuries by 50% by 2030...
Read more
www.who.int
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UK Launches Investigation Branch Focused on Road Safety
The UK government will recruit a specialised team of inspectors to join the country’s first ever Road Safety Investigation Branch (RSIB), looking at how and why incidents happen and to provide real insight into how new technologies...
Read more
www.gov.uk
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World Bank Approves $250mn Program for India's Road Safety
The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved the financing of $250 million to support the Government of India's Program for Strengthening Road Safety. The project will help participating states reduce road crash fatalities and injuries
Read more
www.worldbank.org
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UPCOMING TRANSPORTATION SAFETY EVENTS
AND CAMPAIGNS
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July is National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month |
Motor vehicles are the primary mode of transportation for most of us, and often, an indispensable part of our lives. But what would happen if yours suddenly disappeared? Vehicle theft is a very expensive crime, with the cost of stolen vehicles pegged at more than $7 billion.
-804,400 motor vehicles were stolen in 2020.
-Only 56% of all stolen motor vehicles were recovered.
-Of those stolen, 74% were passenger vehicles.
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In 2020, there were 11,258 people killed in speeding-related crashes, accounting for 29% of all fatal crashes in the United States. Additionally, 87% of all speeding-related traffic fatalities on American roads occurred on non-interstate roadways. To help reduce the number of speeding fatalities on the roads, NHTSA is developing a new 2022 safety campaign to remind drivers that Speeding Wrecks Lives.
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2022 NSC Congress & Expo
For more than 100 years, safety, health and environmental professionals have turned to the world's largest annual safety event for industry-leading technology, education, networking opportunities and the tried and true products and services needed to stay at the forefront and remain competitive within the industry. Mark your calendars for September 16-22 in San Diego.
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2022 AFLA Conference
Join AFLA for their 2022 Corporate Fleet Conference in Tucson, AZ. The conference will begin Monday, October 10, 2022 with networking opportunities that evening. All sessions will begin on Tuesday, October 11th with the conference concluding at 12pm on Thursday, October 13th. Mark your calendars now to join us for "Forward Together."
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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 https://trafficsafety.org/membership-info/.
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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.
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About NETSWork®
NETSWork is published electronically each month by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety.
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Network of Employers for Traffic Safety
344 Maple Ave. West #357
Vienna, VA 22180
+1.703-755-5350
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© 2022 Network of Employers for Traffic Safety
NETS is registered by the US Internal Revenue Service as a 501(C)3 non-profit organization
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