They say you live and learn and I've found that to be true in the course of life's events today I learned something new.  As I think while researching and before writing this blog, this must be a strategy that has something to do with going green.  Everyone is going green today!  Maybe that is why Boston won the Championship.  I'm waiting for the commercials, tongue in cheek. 

I often notice as I pull up into an intersection whether there is glass or plastic or metal pieces lying in the middle of the intersections from a previous car crash, great way to get a slow leak or flat tire.  I was a bad boy once and was required to go to traffic school on a Saturday.  I spent the entire day in a hot crowded room listening to a guy trying to be funny when his jokes sucked.  But, I braved the experience and I learned something also on that day also.  The instructor said most traffic accidents occur in middle of intersections, especially when people making left turns.

Today I learned the UPS (What has Brown done for you lately?) uses a software program that pre-programs a driver's route in such a way there are no left turns or very few if any on a given route.  Apparently UPS had a problem, as it was faced with high injury rates and excessive turnover.  The company turned to its employees for solutions.  Lots of time was being wasted by sitting at busy intersection waiting for the opportunity to legally turn left.  Accidents where off the chart, as drivers who may have been running a little late would gun through intersections to make the light.  Cars in opposite directions would sometimes be in an equal hurry and jump the green light. Can you say CRASH!

Sound like a formula for disaster, but the company and its employees shared a common goal to implement safety strategies with a top-don management approach.  This has resulted in some significant operation and economic improvements.  May I remind you that Monday through Friday, UPS have almost 100,000 trucks per day on the streets.  The company has saved over 30,000,000 miles of travel for delivery drivers, The fuel saving is equal to about 3.5 million gallons annually while reducing toxic emissions by close to 75 million pounds. 

I can visually see in my minds eye as to how this would work for a company with lots of vehicles on the street daily, but I believe this would pose quite a challenge for you and I in our everyday commute.

Enjoy the video