January 2018

Summaries of timely road safety news, events, and alerts
Message from NETS' Executive Director, Joe McKillips
I hope you’re off to a safe and successful start to the New Year. We covered a lot of ground with NETS last year, and this year promises to be another success!
  
We kicked off 2018 with the launch of the NETS Cost of Collisions Calculator App (available on NETS' homepage), developed through our cooperative agreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Given that you can’t track what you don’t measure, the calculator will help you measure your company’s cost of collisions and can help you make the case to senior leadership for investing in a comprehensive road safety program.

We are also working to finalize the dates for our 2018 annual STRENGTH IN NUMBERS® Benchmark Conference which we expect to take place in October 2018. While last year’s conference was memorable, with record-setting attendance and world-class keynote speakers, we’re confident this year’s event will be even better. This is a “can’t miss” opportunity for those who are passionate about reducing risk and saving lives. Stay tuned for further details in the next few weeks where we will unveil the conference location, specific dates, and accompanying venue!

And finally, this year we’ll also be unveiling enhanced programming options for our valued NETS Sponsors which will add even more benefit to NETS members in terms of content and programming such as webinars and blogs addressing current fleet safety issues. We’ll keep you informed as we work out the details of this exciting new program. 

If you’re not yet a NETS member, it’s a great time to join us. I invite you to explore our membership value proposition and consider extending the benefits of NETS membership to your entire team.

Drive safely!
NETS ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEW! Cost of Collisions Calculator App Released

NETS has released the Cost of Collisions calculator app, a helpful tool to be utilized by employers to measure their company’s cost of crashes. The app can be accessed from NETS homepage.

Read more
trafficsafety.org
NSC: Companies Are Not Immune to Car Crash Costs

NETS' Joe McKillips discusses the recently released Cost of Collisions Calculator in the National Safety Council "Safety First" blog.

Read more
www.nsc.org
LATEST ROAD SAFETY NEWS
MADD's Latest Report on Drunken Driving: Long Way to Go

Mothers Against Drunk Driving's latest ranking of state drunken-driving laws shows we still have a long way to go. Even as self-driving cars inch closer to becoming a reality that could possibly eliminate the problem of drunken driving someday,...

Read more
www.washingtonpost.com
National Gas Price Average Jumps Four Cents

Gas prices jumped four cents on the week landing today's national average at $2.53. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand increased 164,000 bbl on the week to register at 8.8 million. The demand measurement is...

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newsroom.aaa.com
Self-driving Cars Must Benefit Rural Communities

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said it's vital for the auto industry to ensure that self-driving cars help improve life in rural communities and not just urban areas. Secretary Chao also hailed the "tremendous potential" of self-driving...

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www.usatoday.com
AAA Study: Crash Risk of Cell Phone Use While Driving

This report investigates the relationship between using a cell phone while driving and the risk of being involved in a crash by comparing cell phone use immediately prior to crashes versus during ordinary driving by the same drivers using...

Read more
aaafoundation.org
WORKPLACE/ HOME ROAD SAFETY
Distracted Driving Contributes to Workplace Fatalities

The number of annual workplace fatalities rose for the third consecutive year in 2016, according to data recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Transportation incidents, workplace violence and drug overdoses are key...

Read more
www.shrm.org
What Do Fleet Operators Think About Telematics Solutions?

A recent study shows that a high percentage of fleets using GPS fleet management systems are very satisfied with what the solutions have to offer, and some feel that these systems are indispensable. So, why don't all fleets use them and what is...

Read more
www.automotive-fleet.com
Video Safety Tip: Vehicle Noises You Shouldn't Ignore

Like a dripping faucet in a house, a repetitive noise in a vehicle can become a major annoyance over time. Some noises, however, can help alert an astute driver to underlying problems ...

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www.automotive-fleet.com
Michelin Pushes for Worn Tire Testing

Michelin North America wants to change the conversation around buying new tires. While many focus on cost, tread depth and mileage warranty, Michelin North America's new President and CEO, Scott Clark, said the company is looking to add to that list.

Read more
www.tirereview.com
Trucking Companies Race to Add Capacity, Drivers

Investors expect the humming economy to translate into an uptick in profits for trucking companies when they report earnings over the next couple of weeks. But carriers can't add capacity fast enough to take advantage of the flood of new business.

Read more
www.wsj.com
TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
BlackBerry: Cybersecurity Software for Self-driving Cars

Canadian programming producer BlackBerry Ltd on Monday propelled another cybersecurity programming, which recognizes vulnerabilities in programs utilized as a part of self-driving autos. A standard for BlackBerry Ltd hangs to commend the...

Read more
cnninews.com
Big Brother on Wheels

Most new vehicles monitor where the driver goes and how he or she drives. They have become sophisticated computers on wheels that offer even more access to our personal habits and behaviors than smartphones do.

Read more
www.washingtonpost.com
Automakers May Make a Car Just for Uber, Lyft Drivers

Having watched the rise of ride-hailing apps, automakers are poised start making changes to new cars to cater directly to a new group of customers -- Uber and Lyft drivers. With millions of Americans pressing their own cars into...

Read more
www.usatoday.com
With AI Digital Assistant, Drivers Talk to Their Cars

Joshua Montgomery, CEO of Mycroft AI, has a bone to pick with Amazon Alexa, the voice-controlled digital helper that companies such as Toyota, Ford and BMW have integrated into vehicles. "Even though [the car] may run a voice...

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www.autonews.com
Truckers Will Be First Casualty of Self-driving Technology

While ride-sharing apps are investing in self-driving cars, your Uber will likely have a human behind the wheel for decades to come. Autonomous technology is simply not ready to handle the unpredictable pedestrians and stop-and-go traffic that...

Read more
www.wikitribune.com
GOVERNMENT AND NON-PROFIT
AGENCY NEWS
Experts Recommend Lower Drunk Driving Threshold

A prestigious U.S. government-commissioned scientific panel is recommending that states significantly lower their drunken driving thresholds as part of a blueprint to eliminate the "entirely preventable" 10,000 alcohol-impaired driving deaths in...

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www.cbsnews.com
USDOT Announces Safety Data Initiative, Pilot Programs

Multi-dimensional models of the transportation system will provide insights that will help improve safety on our highways. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is launching a multi-modal initiative, including two pilot...

Read more
www.transportation.gov
NHTSA-IIHS Announcement on AEB

Four of 20 automakers report that automatic emergency braking (AEB) is standard on more than half of their 2017 model year vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for...

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www.nhtsa.gov
INTERNATIONAL ROAD SAFETY
Head First: Vietnam's Motorcycle Helmet Campaign

Published to coincide with the 10th anniversary of Vietnam's 2007 introduction of a universal helmet law, 'Head First' details the decade-long campaign to secure the legislation, and the decade-long implementation effort since.

Read more
www.fiafoundation.org
Uber to Enforce Mandatory Breaks for UK Drivers

Uber will require U.K. drivers to take a six-hour break after they have worked for 10 hours. The new policy is a response to persistent criticism that drivers are overworked. Uber itself said last month that around one-third of its 50,000 U.K....

Read more
www.thedrive.com
Global Traffic Study Suggests U.S Lagging Behind Peers

A new report examining the global crisis of road deaths and traffic fatalities around the world found that a more systemic approach to safety and traffic infrastructure can save lives. Despite having more resources to tackle road redesigns and...

Read more
www.curbed.com
Students Learn Safe Driving Skills

A 17-day workshop in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi taught safe driving skills and encouraged university students to promote traffic safety among their peers and in the community. The workshop was part of the Safety Delivered programme...

Read more
english.vietnamnet.vn
UPCOMING TRANSPORTATION SAFETY EVENTS
AND CAMPAIGNS
Fans Don't Let Fans Drive Drunk on Superbowl Sunday
February 4, 2018

Super Bowl has become synonymous with drinking and celebrating, making roads on Super Bowl weekend dangerous. Using these materials, you can raise awareness in your community or with your officers to the heightened dangers of drunk driving on Super Bowl weekend.

NHTSA's SaferRide App

NHTSA's SaferRide app will help keep drunk drivers off our roads by allowing users to identify their location and call a taxi or friend to pick them up. D esignate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation to get home safely.

Download NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app, available on Google Play for Android devices and Apple’s iTunes Store for iOS devices.

Save the Date:
National Safety Council Safety Conference & Expo
April 11-13, 2018
New Orleans, LA

For more information or to register, go to:
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 on or about the 20th of each month by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, Susan Gillies, editor, and Joe McKillips, Executive Director.
Network of Employers for Traffic Safety
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