MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY AT WORK

Visual: Eyes off the road

Manual: Hands off the wheel

Cognitive: Mind off driving

Why are phones so distracting?²

Talking and texting on a phone are driving distractions. Texting while driving is especially dangerous because it combines all three types of distractions. Hands-free phones are not necessarily safer than hand-held devices. Your brain has limited ability to perform two tasks at the same time. When driving becomes secondary, you pay less attention to possible dangers on the road. A worker who is driving a motor vehicle while negotiating a complex or contentious business deal over the phone at the same time is at greater risk of being in a crash. In this situation, neither task – driving a vehicle or doing business – gets the attention it deserves.

• In 2014:⁴
  • 16% of all motor vehicle crashes in the United States involved a distracted driver
  • 431,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver
  • 3,179 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver
  • 520 non-occupants (e.g., pedestrians and cyclists) died in a crash that involved a distracted driver
• At any given time in 2015, an estimated 2.2% of all drivers on the road were texting or visibly using a hand-held device – the same percentage as in 2014.⁵
• Research suggests that distraction is present during 52% of normal driving. Common distractions are: interacting with an adult or teen passenger (15%), using a cell phone (6%), and using systems such as climate control and radio (4%).⁶
• On average, a non-fatal injury crash at work that involves distraction costs the employer $72,442.⁷

Employers: Use the following recommendations to prevent distracted driving.^{8, 9}

• Ban texting and hand-held phone use while driving a company vehicle, and apply the same rules to use of a company-issued phone while driving a personal vehicle.
• Consider banning the use of hands-free phones.
• Require workers to pull over in a safe location if they must text, make a call, or look up directions.
• Prepare workers before implementing these policies by communicating:
  • How distracted driving puts them at risk of a crash
  • That driving requires their full attention while they are on the road
  • What they need to do to comply with your company’s policies
  • What action you will take if they do not follow these policies
• Consider having workers acknowledge that they have read and understand these policies.
• Provide workers with information to help them talk to their family about distracted driving.

Resources for employers:

The Free Cell Phone Policy Kit
Download the National Safety Council’s kit for tips to help establish and implement a cell phone policy.

Distraction.gov
Get safety campaign materials as part of a distracted driving toolkit from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety.

Mobile phone use: a growing problem of driver distraction
Learn from the World Health Organization about current knowledge related to distractions caused by cell phone use while driving.

For workers: Take the following actions to stay focused behind the wheel.⁹

• Do not text or use a hand-held phone while driving. Further, avoid using hands-free phones as much as possible – even if your employer allows them.
• Pull over in a safe location if you must text or make a call.
• Make necessary adjustments (e.g., adjust controls, program directions) to your car before your drive.
• Do not reach to pick up items from the floor, open the glove box, or try to catch falling objects in the vehicle.
• Avoid emotional conversations with passengers, or pull over in a safe location to continue the conversation. For normal conversation, passengers in the vehicle can often help lower crash risk for adult drivers.
• Focus on the driving environment — the vehicles around you, pedestrians, cyclists, and objects or events that may mean you need to act quickly to control or stop your vehicle.

Resources for workers:

Distraction.gov
Learn how to understand distracted driving risks and how to talk with family and friends about the importance of staying focused while driving.

Distracted Driving: What You Can Do
Use the National Safety Council’s resources to spread the word about the dangers of distracted driving, learn about cell-phone blocking technology, and take a pledge to drive cell-free.

Distracted Driving
Explore the CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) site for information and tools on distracted driving.

Parents Are the Key to Safe Teen Drivers
Download materials for parents to promote safe teen driving practices, including preventing distracted driving.