(Atlanta, GA, Monday, February 22, 2021) – One company sets the standard for on-the-road safety year after year. UPS has announced the induction of 1,412 men and women into the “Circle of Honor,” an elite group of their drivers who have been among the safest drivers on the road. Circle of Honor drivers have not had an avoidable accident while driving for 25 years or more.

As a global pandemic made their services more important than ever, these drivers continued to safely  help deliver 3% of the world’s GDP – averaging more than 20 million packages a day, ranging from important documents and just-in-time business inventory, to food, clothing and baby formula, and millions of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Todd Wachter, fleet safety manager, talks about the commitment to driving safe.

SOUNDBITE #1:

SPEEDING TICKETS ARE UP BECAUSE THERE IS LESS TRAFFIC ON THE ROADS DUE TO COVID-NINETEEN. DRIVERS NEED TO REMEMBER TO DRIVE WITHIN THE POSTED SPEED LIMITS. WE HAVE OVER TEN THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED DRIVERS THAT HAVE BEEN ACCIDENT-FREE FOR MORE THAN TWENTY-FIVE YEARS. WE CAN OFFER A SOLID TIP FOR THE DRIVING PUBLIC THAT WE EMPHASIZE TO OUR DRIVERS EVERY DAY. ALWAYS LEAVE A SPACE CUSHION BETWEEN YOU AND THE CAR AHEAD. THAT INGLE DRIVING HABIT  COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE. ANOTHER TIP IS TO NEVER USE YOUR CELL PHONE WHEN DRIVING.

SOUNDBITE #2:

OUR ELITE DRIVERS HAVE DRIVEN FIFTEEN BILLION MILES WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A FENDER-BENDER, AND ALL OF OUR DRIVERS DELIVER FIVE POINT FIVE BILLION PACKAGES ANNUALLY. WE INVEST MORE THAN TWO-HUNDRED MILLION INTO SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAMS EACH YEAR. WE TEACH OUR DRIVERS THAT THE DAY’S MOST IMPORTANT STOP IS THE LAST. THE ONE THAT GETS THEM HOME SAFELY TO THEIR FAMILIES. IN TWENTY-SEVENTEEN, WE SET AN AGGRESSIVE GOAL OF REDUCING ACCIDENT FREQUENCIES BY THREE PERCENT BY THE END OF TWENTY-TWENTY, AND HAVE EXCEEDED THAT GOAL BY ATTAINING A REDUCTION OF FIVE PERCENT.

For more information, visit www.ups.com.