Being a traffic safety professional often means focusing on problems. And there’s no question there are plenty of challenges out there to tackle from excessive speed to distracted driving to road rage and more. Each day, countless traffic safety advocates work hard to educate employees and the public with the goal of preventing injuries and deaths.
As we approach this season of Thanksgiving gratitude, I want to recap some of the blessings we’ve experienced over the past year:
- The thousands of visitors to our now year-old drivesafemn.org website and its companion monthly newsletter. We’re thrilled that it’s become a go-to place for the safety resources you need on the issues that matter to your audience. Said one reader, “I really appreciate these newsletters. They provide a lot of great information and something I can pass along to employees regularly. I also use these for safety moments in meetings.”
- The tremendous response to our two major campaigns this year. The extensive resource centers for both the Impaired is Impaired/100 Deadliest Days of Summer and Do It For Me programs attracted great usership. While the formal campaigns have wound down, those materials are still available.
- Speaking of campaigns, we’re deeply grateful to our generous sponsors. AAA Minnesota helped make Impaired is Impaired/100 Deadliest Days of Summer possible, while State Farm was our partner for the Do It For Me
- We’re fortunate to have numerous Minnesota employers who take traffic safety seriously. For example, last month I was privileged to connect virtually with more than 1,300 Cargill employees representing all four of their global regions.
- And we’re also deeply grateful to our traffic safety partners and law enforcement community working at the state, county and local levels to ensure that drivers are educated and follow traffic safety laws to arrive safe each and every time.
Finally, while the focus is typically on unsafe driving practices, I want to offer a shout out to the countless Minnesota drivers who bring their best each time they get behind the wheel. You’re not only keeping yourself safe, you’re also protecting your passengers and ensuring that other drivers, roadway workers and pedestrians have your full attention.
Happy Thanksgiving. On behalf of Minnesota NETS, we wish you a wonderful holiday season that includes travelling safely to and from gatherings of family and friends, shopping, work or wherever the road takes you.