Deutsche Post World Net (DPWN) said it is the first large logistics provider to join the EU’sinitiative for road safety. The action program for road safety aims to cut the number of traffic
deaths in the European Union in half by 2010.Monika Wulf-Mathies, DPWN Managing Director Corporate Public Policy and Sustainability,signed the European Road Safety Charter on September 12 in the presence of EU Traffic CommissionerJacques Barrot. “By joining the European Road Safety Charter, we want to contribute to increasedroad safety as the global leader in transport logistics,” Monika Wulf-Mathies said at the signing.
To help achieve the goals, DPWN has now begun a group-wide initiative. The DPWN Road SafetyCode, mandatory for all road users in the group, is part of the initiative. This set of rulescontains clear regulations that work toward achieving more safety in street traffic. This includes,for example, appropriate, defensive driving that takes into consideration the traffic conditionsand other road users, especially children. Employees will be called on to act responsibly whentaking part in road traffic and will receive offers to participate in trainings.
Walter Scheurle, DPWN Board Member for Personnel, said: “Naturally, technology comprises ourlogistics network, but in particular it is composed of people. And these employees are oftentraveling by car. We already have mandatory safety standards, of course, but we would like to doeven better. We want to employ new measures as a logistics company, applying to road users’performance as well, for assuring exceptional safety.”
The group will, for example, target employees with information on road-safety topics. Inaddition, every year it will instruct at least 50,000 employees within the context of drivertraining and additional traffic-safety measures. The program is an important cornerstone forintegrating a sustainable safety culture in the group.
To coordinate the already existing road-safety program in the group, Deutsche Post World Netis setting up a virtual “House of Road Safety”. “With the development of the DPWN House of RoadSafety, a global foundation for local and national group activities around safety in street trafficshould be achieved,” said Monika Wulf-Mathies.
Under this global roof, the group is making available an intranet-based platform to exchangeexperiences, information and material, among other things. Information media for regionalroad-safety activities will also be developed in the future. In doing so, the group will workclosely together with other members of the European Road Safety Charter, such as the German TrafficSafety Council and the ADAC.
