October 7, 2010—The National Safety Council (NSC) announced the Joseph M. Kaplan Safe Driver of the Year award winners for the public and private sector.
This year's winners have driven a combined 93 years and 6 million miles without being involved in a preventable crash, according to a NSC press release_notes. Winners were chosen among professional drivers nominated for their total driving record, including miles and years driven without a preventable crash.
The winners are:
• Lewis Eaton of Ross Transportation Services in Grafton, Ohio, with 47 years and 4.5 million miles in the public sector.
• Donald Smith of the U.S. Postal Service in Punta Gorda, Fla., with 46 years and 1.5 million miles in the private sector.
Established in 2004, the Joseph M. Kaplan Safe Driver of the Year award is given in recognition of Joseph M. Kaplan, who was president of the Southern California Chapter of NSC for more than 60 years. Kaplan passed away earlier this year.
"We were saddened with the loss of Joseph Kaplan, but his legacy remains strong as we continue to honor those who have reached milestone achievements in driving safely," said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the NSC. "This year's winners have shown an outstanding commitment to safety on the roads that we hope all drivers will follow."