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June 12, 2025 11 mins

What does it take to drive 18,000 miles—the equivalent of crossing America 7.36 times—without a single driving violation? Tory Turner knows, and he's got a $4,000 check to prove it.

Meet the 2024 Drive for Safety campaign grand prize winner who beat incredible odds to maintain a perfect driving record throughout the year. As a natural gas mechanic regularly traveling to service heliports across multiple states, Tory faced the same road hazards we all do: distracted drivers, changing speed limits, and long hours behind the wheel. Yet somehow, he avoided even the smallest infractions that would have disqualified him instantly.

Listen now to discover practical safety techniques from someone who's proven they work in real-world conditions, and learn how you too can become "the example" others follow for road safety. Your perfect driving record—and perhaps your life—may depend on it.

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome everyone to the Producing Confidence Podcast
.
I'm your host today, samanthaMcGee, and we are joined by
natural gas mechanic, toriTurner, who was the 2024 Drive
for Safety campaign grand prizewinner.
Thank you for joining us today,tori.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Oh, it's nice to be here.

Speaker 1 (00:16):
Glad to have you.
And so, for those of you whodon't know, the Drive for Safety
campaign was started last yeardesigned to promote and reward
safe driving among our fieldemployees, and so it really
highlights the dedication andthe discipline that's required
to ensure a safe workenvironment on the road.
And to be eligible to beentered in the campaign,

(00:36):
dettol's employees must be afull-time employee, have a
driving as regular part of theirduties, an active motor vehicle
record monitoring system, andthey must be assigned and
regularly drive a telematicsmonitor company vehicle, and so
this eligibility is verified byour fleet supervisors and our
operations team, and so eachquarter, employees are eligible

(00:58):
to enter into this drawing.
Each quarter, they have to havezero points or infractions on
their record and zero telematicsviolations, and they must
complete the year with zerofleet training interventions
required and experience zeromotor vehicle accidents or
incidents in 2024.
And so, when we talk aboutincidents, that can just be a

(01:19):
speeding, a stop sign violation,the tiniest thing.
So, tori, you did a lot in 2024to get this safe driving record
, congratulations.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Thank you.
I don't want to say it wasdifficult, but it takes a lot of
attention to make sure youdon't have any issues while
you're driving.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
I can imagine it does sound difficult.
You say you don't want to sayit sounds difficult.
It does sound quite difficultbecause you go over five miles
over the speed limit.
You get a violation.
How does that work?

Speaker 2 (01:49):
I think it's 10.
10, okay, so that's barelyanything.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
I imagine that's a lot of attention to details and
dedication involved there, andso last year we had 34 people.
Oh sorry, go ahead.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Yes, because every time it drops speed.
When you're on a highway, it'salways 10 miles an hour or more.
Right and if you don't catchthat sign, you know, that's one
point.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
That's a ding right there, and so you're
automatically disqualified.
Yes, ma'am, wow.
So last year we had 34 peopleacross the entire Danos
organization who drove without aviolation, and so that's a very
small number.
I don't know if the top Ishould have gotten that for the
top of my head with the numberof field employees entered into
the program, but we'll put thatin the show notes.
And Tori drove 18,000 miles in2024, which is the distance from

(02:35):
Los Angeles to New York 7.36times.
That's a lot of driving, a lotof attention to details and a
lot of really safe drivinghabits.
So way to go, tori.
And then.
So Tori was entered into thisdrawing with 34 participants,
and he was selected as thewinner of a $4,000 check.
Woo-hoo, that's kind of a funreward, right.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
Yes, ma'am, it was.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
So we talked a little bit about the speeding as being
one of the things that attracts, but do you know what else the
telematics program tracks inyour driving?

Speaker 2 (03:09):
It would be hard stopping or hard braking, stop
signs.
I'm not sure exactly what else,but I know hard braking is a
huge one.
A lot of people get dings onhard braking and stop signs.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
Which you know can happen to anyone, something you
know a bird flies in front ofyou or something you'd want to
slam on the brakes?
I'm sure yes, ma'am.
So how has this Drive forSafety program and the Danos
safety culture affected yourdriving habits?

Speaker 2 (03:38):
I would say it made me a lot more attentive to
anything that's going on on theroad.
I've always been careful, but Iwanted to be extra careful with
the focus that was going on, soI would just be hypervigilant
while I was driving.

Speaker 1 (03:58):
Yeah, I imagine that you have to be especially
driving as much as you drive andnot having any little
infractions or violations.
Have you made any changes sinceyour last year's habits?
Since you're the title holderfor 2024?
How have your driving habitschanged?
Stayed the same, is anythingyou've picked up along the way?

(04:19):
Um how?

Speaker 2 (04:20):
how have your driving habits changed?
Stay the same as anythingyou've picked up along the way?

Speaker 1 (04:24):
Oh, I think it kind of emboldened me to to stay the
same after winning the award.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, that's a nice incentive.
Yes, ma'am.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
What do you think was the most difficult part of the
challenge?

Speaker 2 (04:31):
Um other drivers on the road?
I think I think so.
You can be in control ofyourself all day long, but when
you're entered into traffic andother drivers and some of them
don't care for their safety oranybody else's it makes it that
much more difficult to continueyour safe driving.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
Yeah, I imagine they've got to keep a level head
, even temper, not let any roadrates creep in.

Speaker 2 (05:04):
I've done quite a few defensive driving courses and I
think that plays a huge role init because it teaches you to
identify possible hazards thatare going to be coming up.
So somebody driving erratic orsomething, you want to try and
stay away from them.
Somebody tailgating, you justgo ahead and get over.
I mean just try to avoid anytype of issue.

(05:27):
Or if you see something,somebody's driving or swerving a
little bit, just I mean youdon't have to pass them, you can
stay behind them.
I mean it's just little thingslike that that you kind of try
to look out for while you're onthe road.

Speaker 1 (05:41):
Yeah, and so did you do these classes just on your
own, or is that something thatyou did as a Danos requirement?

Speaker 2 (05:49):
I've done several on my own, but Danos did give me
one defensive driving course.

Speaker 1 (05:56):
Gotcha.
That's a really great way to, agreat way to be proactive and
take initiative there.

Speaker 2 (06:03):
Well, thank you.

Speaker 1 (06:03):
So what are some of the tips or tricks that you
could share with other drivers,whether they're participating in
the program or not, about howto be a safe driver on the road?

Speaker 2 (06:12):
The best part of the best information I can give is
just just keeping your keepingyour eyes on the road.
I know everybody says keep youreyes on the road, but I mean
it's something that you reallyhave to do.
And then you also have to justtry to look out for other
drivers.
If you're on the road alonenine times out of 10, you're not
going to have an issue, you'renot going to have an accident,

(06:34):
you're not going to be speedingor doing anything that's going
to endanger yourself, obviously.
But I think the hardest part onthe road is watching other
drivers and if you can juststart, watching other drivers

(06:55):
and watching their habits or anyerratic behavior or issues like
that.

Speaker 1 (06:56):
I think that would help you.
What about distractions?
Say, like your phone, does thatgo in the glove compartment?
What do you do with that?

Speaker 2 (07:12):
I think CarPlay is the best invention so far.
If you get a phone call orsomething like that, you don't
have to touch anything.
You can just have Siri tellthem that you'll call them back
later, or anything like that.
Well, you never take your eyesoff the road.

Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yeah, and what about?
I know I feel like I readsomewhere that you mentioned
using cruise control a lot.
Can you tell us?

Speaker 2 (07:29):
how you use that in your driving.
Well, I I get up to speed tothe speed limit and I set my
cruise control and I use mycruise control on my entire trip
.
A lot of my trips are four andfive hours apiece.
So I'm just on the highway incruise control and if I see a

(07:52):
sign coming up, a speed limitsign, I go ahead and I hit my
cancel and then I'll just coastdown to the new speed and set my
cruise again.

Speaker 1 (08:01):
Yeah, that's a great tip to remember, especially on
those longer drives.
So when you're driving four andfive hours, where are you
usually headed?

Speaker 2 (08:08):
Galliano, venice, pickinghoon, mississippi places,
east, mostly Gotcha.

Speaker 1 (08:16):
And that's all to visit different customer sites,
to go service.

Speaker 2 (08:21):
Yes, ma'am, mostly heliports.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
Got it Very good, and so, other than the money, which
is nice, what's something thatmotivates you to want to drive
safely?

Speaker 2 (08:30):
You know, I think I want to be around for a while
for one.

Speaker 1 (08:34):
That's a big one.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
I have six children and a wife, so a lot of that is
family oriented.
I want to be good for them.
I want to be good for thecompany I work for.
I just I want to be the example.

Speaker 1 (08:50):
Yeah, I love that.
You want to be the example youknow, especially for your
children.
That's setting such a greatexample when they see you
driving safely like that.
That that's something they'lltake with them when they're
starting to drive.
I'm sure how old are your kids?

Speaker 2 (09:04):
I have a from six-year-old all the way to
22-year-old.

Speaker 1 (09:07):
Okay, so some of them are driving age.

Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yes, ma'am.

Speaker 1 (09:10):
Yeah, is that anything that you?
Is there any advice that yougive to them when, when, they're
starting to drive?

Speaker 2 (09:16):
I tell them to utilize cruise control, because
some of them do have a lead foot.

Speaker 1 (09:23):
Well, you know, you really are embodying what the
Zanall safety culture is, andthrough this program, I think
that's something that we hopethat others continue to do.
I know there are a lot ofothers.
You know you were one of 34last year to enter into the pot,
I guess, if you will.
So we do have a lot of otherpeople out there who are doing
this, which is great, and sowhat we do want to know what'd
you do with the money?

Speaker 2 (09:43):
I put it directly on bills.

Speaker 1 (09:46):
Great, Not as fun, but you know it's a great way to
be responsible.

Speaker 2 (09:52):
Oh yes, Absolutely.
I paid it off, though it's gone.

Speaker 1 (09:55):
Fantastic.
All right, Tori, if you couldleave our listeners with one
piece of advice when it comes todriving safely, what would that
one thing be?

Speaker 2 (10:04):
If you don't do it for yourself, do it for your
family or try to be the example.

Speaker 1 (10:09):
Try to be the example .
Do it for your family.
I love that.
That's great.
I think that's something thatwe can all remember, whether
we're using the telematicsprogram and being monitored with
our company vehicles or not.
I think we can all be theexample on the road.
Like you said, use cruisecontrol and really pay attention
and be diligent to what theother drivers are doing and not
be distracted.
Yes, ma'am, Absolutely Well.

(10:32):
Thank you so much.
Is there anything else youwanted to add?

Speaker 2 (10:36):
I think that's it yeah.

Speaker 1 (10:38):
I think you left us all with some great advice and
hopefully, if some of youlistening are driving right now,
you're setting your cruisecontrol and you're minimizing
the distractions already.
And thanks again, tori, forjoining us.
We really appreciate you takingthe time and keep on driving
safe and keep on being theexample.
Thanks.

Speaker 2 (10:56):
Yes, ma'am.
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