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Safety first: UPS driver goes 31 years without a traffic accident
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| Atmore resident Virginia Hooper has accomplished something most in her profession have not- a perfect driving safety record. |
By MaryClaire Foster
“All good kids love milk” and for 31 years, Virginia Hooper has taken that phrase to heart.
Hooper is a driver for UPS and on Tuesday celebrated the anniversary of that many years of driving without an accident.
Hooper is a native of Greenville, lives in Atmore and works out of the UPS distribution center in Evergreen.
Hooper attributes a lot of her success to using the phrase “All good kids love milk,” a mnemonic device for UPS’s “five seeing habits.” The five seeing habits are tips compiled by UPS to aid its drivers in road safety.
“It’s a little bit hard to do,” Hooper said modestly speaking of her accomplishment. “You think about things and try and make good decisions. I rely on the five seeing habits and 10-point commentary mostly. It’s (safety training) an ongoing continuous process that UPS does. We’re always taught safety.”
She said when she began working for UPS she was one of the lone females and had a lot to live up to.
“The center I came into, most men had 30 years, so it was kind of a standard, a bar, that was set,” she said.
Hooper’s boss, Randy Cumberland, said having no accidents in that many years is a true accomplishment to be proud of.
“This puts her within what we consider a very small elite group,” he said. “We have a program here at UPS that any driver who has achieved 25 years goes in the circle of honor. We judge them very strictly. A tree limb would be an accident if it broke the side mirror.”
Hooper, who was a stay at home mom before joining UPS, said she loves what she does, even if it means dodging a dog bite every now and then, which she said has occurred “several times.”
“It’s kind of hard not to (get bit),” she said. “We toot the horn, look for dog toys, a food bowl, that kind of thing. You never want to turn around and run. Back away slowly from it and try and keep the box you’re trying to deliver between you and the dog.”
Actually, Hooper said, driving in thunderstorms is much more anxiety inducing than seeing dogs.
But what Hooper makes sure to keep in mind while driving is that keeping herself and others safe is the most important thing.
“The goal UPS sets is: the most important stop you have everyday is when you get back to your home,” she said.
UPS’s “Five Seeing Habits”
The five habits, remembered by the phrase “All Good Kids Love Milk,” are as follows:
Aim High In Steering: Look as far down the road as possible to uncover important traffic information to make appropriate decisions.
Get The Big Picture: Maintain the proper following distance so you can comfortably determine the true hazards around your vehicle. Don’t tailgate others.
Keep Your Eyes Moving: Scan - don’t stare. Constantly shift your eyes while driving. Active eyes keep up with changing traffic conditions.
Leave Yourself An Out: Be prepared. Surround your vehicle with space in front and at least on one side to escape conflict.
Make Sure They See You: Communicate in traffic with your horn, lights and signals to establish eye contact with motorists and pedestrians. Be reasonably sure of people’s intentions.
Hooper is a driver for UPS and on Tuesday celebrated the anniversary of that many years of driving without an accident.
Hooper is a native of Greenville, lives in Atmore and works out of the UPS distribution center in Evergreen.
Hooper attributes a lot of her success to using the phrase “All good kids love milk,” a mnemonic device for UPS’s “five seeing habits.” The five seeing habits are tips compiled by UPS to aid its drivers in road safety.
“It’s a little bit hard to do,” Hooper said modestly speaking of her accomplishment. “You think about things and try and make good decisions. I rely on the five seeing habits and 10-point commentary mostly. It’s (safety training) an ongoing continuous process that UPS does. We’re always taught safety.”
She said when she began working for UPS she was one of the lone females and had a lot to live up to.
“The center I came into, most men had 30 years, so it was kind of a standard, a bar, that was set,” she said.
Hooper’s boss, Randy Cumberland, said having no accidents in that many years is a true accomplishment to be proud of.
“This puts her within what we consider a very small elite group,” he said. “We have a program here at UPS that any driver who has achieved 25 years goes in the circle of honor. We judge them very strictly. A tree limb would be an accident if it broke the side mirror.”
Hooper, who was a stay at home mom before joining UPS, said she loves what she does, even if it means dodging a dog bite every now and then, which she said has occurred “several times.”
“It’s kind of hard not to (get bit),” she said. “We toot the horn, look for dog toys, a food bowl, that kind of thing. You never want to turn around and run. Back away slowly from it and try and keep the box you’re trying to deliver between you and the dog.”
Actually, Hooper said, driving in thunderstorms is much more anxiety inducing than seeing dogs.
But what Hooper makes sure to keep in mind while driving is that keeping herself and others safe is the most important thing.
“The goal UPS sets is: the most important stop you have everyday is when you get back to your home,” she said.
UPS’s “Five Seeing Habits”
The five habits, remembered by the phrase “All Good Kids Love Milk,” are as follows:
Aim High In Steering: Look as far down the road as possible to uncover important traffic information to make appropriate decisions.
Get The Big Picture: Maintain the proper following distance so you can comfortably determine the true hazards around your vehicle. Don’t tailgate others.
Keep Your Eyes Moving: Scan - don’t stare. Constantly shift your eyes while driving. Active eyes keep up with changing traffic conditions.
Leave Yourself An Out: Be prepared. Surround your vehicle with space in front and at least on one side to escape conflict.
Make Sure They See You: Communicate in traffic with your horn, lights and signals to establish eye contact with motorists and pedestrians. Be reasonably sure of people’s intentions.
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