In an effort to reward and promote safe driving in the downtown area, eight Madison mail carriers received the National Safety Council's Million Mile Award this month.

According to Terri Bouffiou, spokesperson for the United States Postal Service, the award is an annual honor given to drivers across the country. Bouffiou said anyone who drives a truck for a living is eligible to receive the Million Mile Award, from long haul truckers to United Parcel Service employees.

Among the Madison postal service recipients, she said, the average length of employment was 32 years.

"What we're hoping is that the [Million Mile] Award encourages and reminds everyone to be safe," she added. "It's very expensive to have accidents, and we recognize our workers have really accomplished something."

To be eligible for the award, each postal employee had to drive a mail truck for a total of 30 years without a preventable motor vehicle accident. Bouffiou said the award gets its name because, on average, a mail carrier serving the community for 30 years would drive approximately one million miles.

But what makes the award especially impressive for the eight carriers, she added, is that Madison is a harder city to navigate than most across the country.

"Madison is a difficult city to drive in," Bouffiou said. "Certainly on campus with mopeds, motorcycles, pedestrians, trucks, delivery vehicles and cars all mixed together … it's a challenge."

And she said each accident that occurs in Madison costs money and puts postal workers out of a job after years of experience.

Million Mile Award Recipient Henry Payne, who has been delivering mail in the downtown area and on the University of Wisconsin campus for 33 years, said driving for a living is a stressful job.

Payne said he delivers oversized packages to all residents in the isthmus area, but also delivers regular mail to help other routes on particularly busy days.

"Driving around the [Capitol] Square can be stressful sometimes, especially if it gets dark or there's a lot of traffic," he said. "But I like what I'm doing, so I'm lucky — I enjoy driving."

And among many Madison area mail carriers, Payne added, accidents are "common." He said most accidents are fender benders caused by drivers not paying attention to the road.

But in a fast-paced city, Payne said there is a lot of pressure for mail to arrive on time, which leads to careless driving and some serious accidents.

"Sometimes there's stress to hurry up and get the mail out, especially in adverse conditions," he added. "The mail's got to go, so you just have to slow your driving down and be efficient."

Payne admitted part of his eligibility to receive the Million Mile Award was because he has been "fortunate" in the past, but said he does whatever he can to keep himself, other drivers and pedestrians safe by focusing on only his driving.

Seeing U.S. Postal Service workers drive with caution, he added, encourages all Madison residents to proceed with extra caution in the crowded downtown area.

"I'm very honored to get this award," Payne said. "Not everybody does this, and having gone through 30 years or more without an accountable accident … it kind of sets an example."