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Traffic Crashes Kill 40 Thousand Americans Each Year and are the Leading Cause Of Workplace Death and Injury

20 April 1998

Traffic Crashes Kill 40 Thousand Americans Each Year and are the Leading Cause Of Workplace Death and Injury

    Mitsubishi Motors and the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety Lead
                      National Drive Safely at Work Week

    WASHINGTON, D.C., April 17 -- Traffic crashes -- both on-and-
off the job -- kill more than 40 thousand Americans each year and have an
annual price tag of $150 billion.  On average, that translates to a cost of
$580 for every person in U.S.  The personal tragedy combined with the economic
impact associated with traffic crashes is even more staggering considering
traffic crashes are preventable.
    Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Inc. (MMSA) and the Network of
Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) are leading National Drive Safely at Work
Week (NDS@WW) as one solution to the problem.  Throughout the week, thousands
of employers will be conducting activities to bring traffic safety awareness
to motorists at work.  Drivers are encouraged to follow five safety messages
that can save lives, reduce injuries and minimize costs:

    -- Buckle up, use appropriate child safety seats, and put children under
        age 12 in the back seat
    -- Drive courteously to avoid aggressive driving and road rage
    -- Be well rested when you drive
    -- Drive sober
    -- Share the road safely with large vehicles

    NETS estimates that if every American followed basic rules of safety for
just one week, 800 lives and $3 billion would be saved.  "A seat belt alone
can reduce the chance of death and injury in a crash by 45 percent," said
Pierre Gagnon, executive vice president and chief operating officer for MMSA
and honorary chair of NDS@WW. "Motorists need to be reminded of these facts,
and the workplace is one way we can reach millions of people with important
traffic safety messages."
    Traffic crashes are the number one cause of workplace death and injury,
costing American businesses $50 billion each year in sick time, higher
insurance premiums and medical costs, and losses in productivity.  NDS@WW was
designed as one way employers can take a proactive step in eliminating a
preventable problem.
    "As an employer, and particularly an automotive company, we know that it's
not only cars that keep people safe," said Gagnon.  "The best way to protect
anyone in a vehicle is by preventing the crash in the first place."
1998 marks the second annual NDS@WW campaign, which was developed by the
Network of Employers for Traffic Safety -- an alliance of America's corporate
and government leaders dedicated to reducing traffic deaths and injuries in
our nation's workforce.  As a long time member of NETS and traffic safety
advocate, Mitsubishi Motors stepped forward to sponsor this year's effort.
    Established in 1989, NETS currently has 28 state coordinators with a
distribution to over 6,000 organizations nationally.  For more information
regarding NETS and employer traffic safety programs, call NETS National at
202/452-6005.
    Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Inc. was established in 1982 by
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Tokyo, and markets a full line of vehicles,
including coupes, convertibles, sedan and sport utility vehicles.

    ** Additional traffic safety tips and statistics available upon request.


SOURCE  Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Inc.