The annual Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) Annual Strength in Numbers conference was held in Frisco, Texas, US, from 10–11 October 2018.
NETS is a collaborative group of road safety professionals from corporate and governmental organizations whose objective is to advance road safety for their employees, family members, and members of the communities where they live and work.
Lotte Brondum, Executive Director of the Alliance, attended the conference and, together with Shane O’Connor, Communications Advisor, Road Safety at FedEx, gave a presentation on road safety sustainability. The presentation focused on the Alliance’s collaboration with FedEx through the Alliance Empowerment Program and the impact that the program has had on the work of Alliance member NGOs, with a view to empowering other NETS members to extend their road safety best practices
to benefit the communities they serve and engage with NGOs to decrease road traffic deaths and injuries.
The program also featured industry speakers from well-known companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Toyota, and Eli Lilly and Alliance member Brake.
Companies and governmental organizations that manage fleets of vehicles are an important part of the road safety equation. It is estimated that one in three fatal crashes involves someone driving for work. How employers manage their fleets and drivers can therefore make a big impact in making roads safer. Good road safety makes good business sense: corporations are often at the forefront of innovation and regulation. Technology such as telematics used by companies to assess driver behavior and investigate crashes can provide valuable insights. The internal fleet policies and procedures of strong employers can provide a model for others, including governments. NETS is a forum for these employers to share their successes, failures, and questions—and improve safety for all.
There are huge opportunities for NGOs and fleet managers to benefit from each other’s expertise and to share their knowledge of their communities, advocacy experience, and skills with one another. Through its work with NETS and FedEx, the Alliance seeks to push forward multi-sector partnerships and build trust between different stakeholders.
Read more about NETS HERE.
