Focus on the Road

We continually hear about the dangers of distracted driving. Still, as much as we know and hear about these risks, every day I witness erratic behaviors caused by drivers making phone calls and texting behind the wheel. Many states have issued laws against such actions, but it hasn’t seemed to make a significant impact. Driving in New York recently, 
I saw rest areas renamed “Text Stops.” And yet, I saw people texting and driving right past them. According to the AAA Foundation, distracted driving contributes to about 8,000 accidents every single day, and the Center for Disease Control reports that more than 15 people are killed and 1,200 injured every day in those accidents. Delivery and service vans are not immune to these numbers. So what does this all mean to you and your business? Plenty if you haven’t issued a policy banning hand held cellphone calls or texting while operating company vehicles or on the job. There have been several successful and devastating lawsuits—some of which resulted in punitive damages that, in many states, are not insurable losses— against companies whose drivers were texting and became involved in tragic accidents. The lack of a policy has been construed as condoning cellphone use, and this nonaction will work against your business in court. If your company does not have a policy in place with regard to cellphone use or texting while driving a company vehicle, it is highly advisable to institute one immediately and have all of your personnel who drive for the company read and sign it. The policy should cover all areas of distracted driving, such as avoiding paperwork while driving and GPS usage. Routes should also be planned out before setting out. The policy should strictly prohibit the use of cellphones or similar devices while driving on company business or while driving a vehicle supplied by the company. It should also clearly spell out the penalties for failure to observe the policy up to and including termination. As with any policy, you must write it, train your people and enforce it. If you haven’t done all three, your policy will most likely fail. To maintain productive, you expect that your employees will multitask, but that should never be an option while they are behind the wheel.

Distracted Driving Defined

The month of April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month in the U.S. Any activity that takes a person’s attention away from the road/driving or hands off the wheel is defined as a distraction. Consider the following list of routine tasks that can place drivers, passengers and others in danger.

• Texting
   
• Using a smartphone
   
• Eating and/or drinking
   
• Talking with passengers
   
• Grooming
   
• Reading, including maps
   
• Using a GPS system
   
• Watching a video
   
• Adjusting the radio/CD player/MP3 player

Texting is the most dangerous driving activity, because it requires a driver’s visual, manual and cognitive attention. For more statistics about distracted driving, visit distraction.gov, and click on “Facts & Statistics” under the “Get the Facts” tab. *All information courtesy of distraction.gov, the official U.S. Government website for distracted driving.

Facts & Figures

Drivers in their 20s make up 27 percent of the distracted drivers in fatal crashes. (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration [NHTSA]) In 2012, 3,328 people were killed and 421,000 were injured in distraction-affected crashes. (NHTSA and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute [VTTI]) The average text read or typing time is 4.6 seconds. Just three seconds of texting while driving at 65 mph is equal to driving 100 yards, or the length of a football field, blindfolded. (VTTI and the California Office of Traffic Safety) Engaging in visual-manual subtasks (such as reaching for a phone, dialing and texting) associated with the use of hand-held phones and other portable devices increases the risk of getting into a crash by three times. (VTTI) As of December 2012, 171.3 billion text messages were sent in the U.S. (includes Puerto Rico, the Territories and Guam) every month. (Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association) At any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cellphones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010. (National Occupant Protection Use Survey)