Vienna, VA - The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety has partnered with the U.S. Department of Transportation to offer a free comprehensive toolkit to help companies address distracted driving and improve the driving safety of employees, employee family members and the members of the community in which the organization operates.

Employee traffic crashes, both on and off the job, cost employers an estimated $60 billion annually, according to the most recent government study.

Focus360°…Getting there safely is everyone’s business." The DSWW materials are designed to support employer efforts to initiate or sustain a corporate mobile device policy and to increase awareness on behaviors that contribute to distracted driving-related incidents. The campaign’s materials go beyond what can be done as drivers to reduce distracted driving and also consider the roles and responsibilities of being a safe passenger, pedestrian and cyclist.

"I applaud NETS for making this valuable resource available to companies and organizations across the country. Employers have the potential to reach up to one-half of the nation's population, and their support in our fight to stop distracted driving is crucial," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.

"When employers adopt policies against texting and cell phone use while driving, our roads become safer for everyone."

In 2010, nearly 5000 organizations participated in Drive Safely Work Week, reaching more than 20 million employees.

The free tool kit provides easy-to-use Web-based resources to support targeted activities for each day of the campaign week. In addition, the materials encourage employers to position their organization as a corporate role model within the communities in which they operate.

"Employers are stepping up and initiating workplace mobile device policies to help prevent distracted driving-relating incidents," said Bill Windsor, NETS Chairman and Associate Vice President of Nationwide Insurance. "The Drive Safely Work Week campaign is not only an opportunity to reinforce and sustain existing policies, but to also affect employee family and community members with activities and messages designed to merge workplace safety culture with personal safety culture."