National Safety Council Column Debuts In NAFA’s FLEETSolutions Magazine

Driver safety is everything. If an organization doesn’t have safe drivers it risks lawsuits, damage to its image, increased maintenance costs, productivity losses, and even the death or deaths of employees or others. As part of an on-going effort to keep safety issues on the forefront of fleet management, NAFA is proud to announce the debut of "Safety First" – a new column provided by the National Safety Council (NSC) – that will run in each issue of FLEETSolutions magazine. The first column, which takes a look at the effect of distracted driving, will appear in the January/February 2014 issue of the publication.

David Teater, the Senior Director of Transportation Initiatives for the NSC, wrote the debut column. Teater is an expert in the area of distracted driving, frequently speaking on the topic and helping hundreds of employers implement cell phone distracted driving policies. In addition, he has appeared before several state legislatures to advocate for restrictions on cell phone use while driving and has testified before the United States Congress.

In the column, Teater points out that the NSC estimates that 22 percent of all crashes involve cell phone conversations, regardless of whether drivers are using hands-free or handheld devices. "Understanding the increased crash risk and the volume of drivers using cell phones is the first step to changing the culture of cell phone distracted driving," he writes.

"NAFA is excited to have the NSC offering safety tips and advice for our readers," said NAFA’s Executive Director Phillip E. Russo, CAE. "Safety is paramount for us. In recent years, NAFA has been expanding our focus on safety from the creation of our Safety Advisory Council to the introduction of an annual award highlighting fleet professionals who have done outstanding work in the field of safety. ‘Safety First’ continues this mission by providing a forum for one of the leading sources of safety advocacy to speak directly to fleet professionals on a regular basis."

FLEETSolutions magazine is distributed to NAFA members as a value-added benefit. The publication is available in print and online, Find out more about it and NAFA's other valuable fleet publications at: http://www.nafa.org/publications/

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