The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) has set this year’s Drive Safely Work Week for Oct. 5-9, the organization said, and downloadable campaign materials will be available.

This year’s theme, “Drive Focused, Drive Smart, Get Home Safely,” focuses on the issues of distracted driving and eco-friendly driving. The annual campaign is aimed at educating employees about safe driving practices — regardless of whether they drive a company vehicle.

Traffic crashes are still the No. 1 cause of on-the-job death and injury. In addition to the pain and suffering caused, traffic crashes cost employers more than $60 billion annually in the U.S. alone, NETS said.

NETS is a partnership between the federal government and leading companies including Abbot, Amerifleet Transportation, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Chubb Group of Insurance, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, Nationwide Mutual Insurance, Monsanto and UPS.

“The Drive Safely Work Week campaign is designed for businesses of all sizes,” said Maureen Mazurek, director of human rights for Monsanto Co. and chairperson of NETS. “Even companies with a robust road safety program find the campaign a great way to include everyone in safe driving awareness and practices.”

NETS has created a web-based campaign kit providing easy-to-use tools that include downloadable messages, graphics and activities for each day of the campaign week. A highlight in this year’s campaign tool kit is an interactive distracted driving self-assessment that can be distributed via e-mail to employees, NETS said. By answering a series of questions on driving behavior, employees can discreetly learn how their driving habits rate on a scale developed by a panel of driving safety experts.

Other campaign components include fact/tip sheets on safety issues as well as resources for global employers.

“In today’s tough economic climate, our businesses appreciate that the DSWW materials include meaningful messages and activities that can be easily shared and implemented without taking significant time away from the work day,” said Dan Vartanian, corporate program coordinator for the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.

Although the campaign is nationally recognized in October, the materials are not dated and may be used throughout the year.

For more information on NETS and its Drive Safely Work Week campaign, visit the NETS website.