UPS HONORS ILLINOIS DRIVERS FOR 25 YEARS OF SAFE DRIVING
CHICAGO, Feb. 24, 2016 — UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced that 100 elite drivers from Illinois are among 1,613 newly inducted worldwide into the Circle of Honor, an honorary organization for UPS drivers who have achieved 25 or more years of accident-free driving.
Illinois boasts 456 active Circle of Honor drivers with a combined 12,969 years of accident-free driving. Ralph Lendi of Tinley Park is the state’s senior-most safe driver, with 45 years of accident-free driving under his belt. There are 5,254 total UPS drivers in Illinois.
Photo by William J. Grimes This is a picture of a Model P800 manufactured specifically for UPS by Grumman Olson. Licensing This image is watermarked to give credit to the photographer! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Globally, 8,703 active UPS drivers are members of the Circle of Honor. Collectively they’ve racked up more than 245,000 years and more than 5.3 billion safe miles during their careers. That’s enough miles to travel to Mars and back 19 times.
“My thanks go to all of them for their dedication and focus and for the countless lives they’ve saved,” said George Willis, president, UPS West Region. “Their attention to detail has kept them safe and has helped improve public safety.”
Globally, the most seasoned UPS Circle of Honor driver is Thomas Camp of Livonia, Mich., with 53 years of driving without an accident. Ronald McKnight of Bronx, N.Y., is next in line with 47 years of safe driving. Sixty-six others have logged at least 40 years without an accident.
UPS’s 102,000 drivers are among the safest on the roads, logging more than 3 billion miles a year and delivering more than 4 billion packages safely.
Founded in 1907, UPS has a rich history of safety and training. The company issued its first driver handbook in 1917 and began recognizing safe drivers in 1923. In 1928, UPS recognized its first five-year safe driver, Ray McCue, with UPS founder Jim Casey presenting him a gold and platinum watch. UPS formally established its safe driving honor program in 1928.
* Video b-roll, photos and an infographic are available at www.upsprmedia.com/circleofhonor2016.zip.
HOW MUCH IS 5.3 BILLION?
[if !supportLists]· [endif]5.3 billion miles is enough miles to drive to Mars and back 19 times.
[if !supportLists]· [endif]It’s enough miles to circle the earth at the equator nearly 213,000 times.
[if !supportLists]· [endif]It’s enough miles to drive every mile of every road in the U.S. nearly 1,300 times.
[if !supportLists]· [endif]5.3 billion seconds ago James K. Polk was the 11th president of the United States, and the Civil War was still 13 years away.
[if !supportLists]· [endif]5.3 billion minutes ago many ice age species, like the wooly rhinoceros and saber-toothed cats, were going extinct .
[if !supportLists]· [endif]A stack of 5.3 billion dollar bills would be about 360 miles high.
TOP FIVE TO ARRIVE ALIVE
UPS’s 102,000 drivers log more than 3 billion miles a year – enough to drive to Mars and back 19 times – and are among the safest on the roads. Here are five tips based on safe-driving principles they use daily:
[if !supportLists]1) [endif]Look Left, Right, Left Again … before crossing an intersection. And don’t forget to check your mirrors!
[if !supportLists]2) [endif]Safe Space … When stopped in traffic, keep a car length between you and the car ahead to allow room to pull around a stalled vehicle or a cushion if it makes an unexpected turn.
[if !supportLists]3) [endif]Back Off! … Space between you and the car ahead is critical – 4 to 6 seconds if you’re going under 30 mph, 6 to 8 if you’re going over 30.
[if !supportLists]4) [endif]Stale Green is Mean … If you’re not sure when a green light will change, visualize the point beyond which you’ll stop if it turns yellow.
[if !supportLists]5) [endif]A Roving Eye … Check your mirrors every 5 to 8 seconds. Just a quick glance, then back to the road ahead!
RayHananiaINN
Hanania covered Chicago political beats including Chicago City Hall while at the Daily Southtown Newspapers (1976-1985) and later for the Chicago Sun-Times (1985-1992). He published The Villager Community Newspapers covering 12 Southwest suburban regions (1993-1997). Hanania also hosted live political news radio talkshows on WLS AM (1980 - 1991), and also on WBBM FM, WLUP FM, WSBC AM in Chicago, and WNZK AM in Detroit.
The recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, Hanania was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media;In 2009, he received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. Hananiaalso received two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild, and in 1990 was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
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