SANGER, CA — For most drivers, luck would play a role in driving accident-free for 30 years. However, Paul Kurihara, a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier in Sanger will be the first to tell you that it’s not a matter of luck; it’s a matter of taking the time to drive safely no matter how much of a hurry other people are in.

Now, imagine the equivalent of driving 40 times around the globe without ever leaving the city limits, and imagine doing it safely, under hazardous road conditions, gridlock, rural terrain, and with a vigilant eye on inattentive drivers.

As a result of his achievement, Paul Kurihara will be honored at:

Sanger Post Office
724 O Street
Sanger, CA 93657
Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at 8:00 a.m.

What makes the million-mile achievement so astonishing is the fact that Kurihara never had as much as a fender-bender or a single preventable accident in over 31 years of driving.

“Postal Service drivers are among the safest in the world,” said Sacramento District Manager Jeff Lelevich. “The remarkable achievement of Paul Kurihara demonstrates how Postal Service employees continue to deliver on the promise of delivering their best every day with care, courtesy and the concern for the safety of others.”

Kurihara will be presented with a plaque from the Safety Council and automatic membership in the prestigious National Safety Council “Million Mile Club.” The Million-Mile Award is a lifetime enrollment, and it is given to drivers who have accumulated one million miles or 30 years of driving without being involved in a preventable motor vehicle accident.  According to the National Safety Council, it takes approximately 30 years to accumulate one million miles.

How did Paul Kurihara achieve such a feat?

• By driving defensively — expecting the unexpected.
• By maintaining a safe distance of one car length for every 10 mph between them and the car in front of them.
• By being courteous, using turn signals and obeying all laws.
• By keeping his options open — have a “what to do if I’m cut off” strategy.
• By not driving distracted, turning off mobile devices when driving — no cell phones or texting.

The United States Postal Service has one of the largest vehicle fleets in the world. Our drivers face hazardous road conditions, congestion, gridlock, city and rural terrain and careless drivers on a daily basis.

MEDIA ALERT: For photo and interview opportunities, contact Postmaster Juli Sosa at 559-876-9041.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

# # #

Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm.

More USPS holiday news, including shipping deadlines and Santa mail, can be found at usps.com/holidaynews.

For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf. Follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/usps), Instagram (instagram.com/uspostalservice), Pinterest (pinterest.com/uspsstamps), LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/usps), subscribe to our channel on YouTube (youtube.com/usps), like us on Facebook (facebook.com/usps) and view our Postal Posts blog (uspsblog.com).

For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and usps.com/postalfacts.