The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) honored four individuals and organizations for outstanding leadership, innovation and measurable results in road safety during its 2026 Strength IN Numbers® Fleet Safety Benchmark Conference, held September 15–17 in Indianapolis.

“This year’s award recipients exemplify what it means to make road safety part of how an organization operates, not simply a program or initiative,” said Art Kinsman, Chief Strategy Officer of NETS. “Their work illustrates what is possible when road safety evolves from a priority into an enduring organizational value.”

Susan Hipp Road Safety Collaborative Leadership Award — Suzi McCray, Manager, Road Safety Americas, Johnson & Johnson

Established this year in honor of longtime NETS leader Susan Hipp, the award recognizes individuals who embody her collaborative approach to road safety leadership and carry that legacy forward. McCray brought together teams and partners across functions and geographies to strengthen road safety for more than 16,000 drivers in 16 countries. Serving as a connector, strategist and subject matter expert, she helped build greater alignment, accountability and consistency across the Americas. Under her leadership, the organization achieved its lowest crashes-per-million-miles rate in 30 years.

Overall Road Safety Achievement Award — Bayer

Bayer was recognized for its global road safety framework which has strengthened safe mobility through four pillars: Safe Vehicles, Safe Driving Skills, Policy & Planning, and Positive Culture. A key innovation, the Take CARE on the Road workshop, promotes safer driving behaviors through focus, compliance, emotional control, and fatigue management. Since 2024, the program has contributed to significant reductions in road incidents and achieved zero fatalities amongst employees and supervised contractors while advancing a strong culture of road safety worldwide.

International Fleet Road Safety Achievement Award — Juan Carlos Leon, Global Safety Lead, Arca Continental

Leon and Arca Continental were recognized for using AI-enabled technology, targeted training and driver coaching to address distraction and fatigue. In a deployment encompassing 300 vehicles at 12 sites, drivers logged more than two million kilometers and 100,000 hours with only one reportable collision. Arca Continental’s higher-risk T2 fleet achieved a 91% reduction in total collisions and a 51% reduction in cost per remaining collision.

Women in Fleet Road Safety Achievement Award — Heather Bass, Director, Global Driver Safety Programs, Ecolab

Bass was recognized for leading Ecolab’s enterprise new-hire driver safety onboarding program, which establishes a common safety standard across more than a dozen business divisions. Every new driver completes behind-the-wheel instruction within a defined period after hire. The program shifts the focus from reacting to identified risk to building safe driving practices from day one and now also serves as an integration model for newly acquired drivers.

About NETS

Founded in 1991, NETS is a global 501(c)(3) public/private partnership dedicated to improving the safety of employees, their families, and communities by preventing traffic crashes on and off the job. NETS member companies have drivers operating in more than 130 countries representing a collective fleet of nearly half a million vehicles, traveling more than seven billion miles annually. NETS is a member of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration, which provides guidance to the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030.

For information on NETS and membership, visit www.trafficsafety.org.

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