UPS honors Tinley Park resident as state's safest driver

CHICAGO - UPS announced Ralph Lendi of Tinley Park was among 79 elite drivers from Illinois inducted into the Circle of Honor, an honorary organization for UPS drivers who have achieved 25 or more years of accident-free driving.

Lendi is the state's senior-most safe driver, with 45 years of accident-free driving under his belt, the global package delivery company said. There are 3,983 total full-time UPS drivers in Illinois, which boasts 488 active Circle of Honor drivers with a combined 13,931 years of accident-free driving.

Globally, 9,349 active UPS drivers are members of the Circle of Honor. Collectively they've racked up 266,554 years and nearly 14 billion safe miles during their careers. That's enough miles to travel to the moon and back almost 29,000 times.

"My thanks go to all of them for their dedication and focus and for the countless lives they've saved," said George Willis, president, UPS West Region. "Their attention to detail has kept them safe and has helped improve public safety."

UPS's 102,000 drivers are among the safest on the roads, logging more than 3 billion miles a year and delivering nearly 5 billion packages annually.