Driving While Distracted: A Threat to Businesses
Nationwide research and other studies show it’s a legitimate danger. Here’s how your business can avoid disaster.
If you run a business that relies on vehicles driven by employees, a relatively new trend poses a real threat to your people and your business. New research is exposing the true danger of “distracted driving” - the habit of dialing cell phones, reading and sending text messages, and fiddling with GPS units while behind the wheel of a moving car or truck.
According to the Obama administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation, which hosted a National Distracted Driving summit in September, nearly 6,000 people in the U.S. were killed and more than 500,000 were injured last year in vehicle crashes connected to driver distraction – including those caused by drivers talking on cell phones and texting.
While these statistics are drawn from the general driving population, it’s likely that business drivers are subject to the same risks, if not worse. Many commercial vehicles (such as vans and box trucks) have worse driver visibility than cars, and their larger sizes and improved safety features can give drivers a false sense of safety and confidence. And the heavier a commercial vehicle is, the harder it is to control or slow down in the event of an emergency. The same is true for vehicles that pull trailers.
Driver distraction is dangerous in the best driving conditions. But when you add traffic, bad weather, and workday stress, it’s a recipe for disaster. As a business owner, it’s important for you to remind employees to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.
Troubling distracted driving statistics
A recent Nationwide distracted driving survey indicated that while 98 percent of Americans believe they are safe drivers, 72 percent feel pressure to be available by cell phone or other device at all times. And nearly half believe mobile electronic devices are the most dangerous distraction while driving. So while the majority of respondents reflect an awareness of the dangers, many continue to take the risk of making calls and sending texts. In fact, Nationwide’s study of more than 1,500 Americans revealed that 18 percent of those surveyed admitted to texting while driving – that number jumps to 37 percent for drivers under 30 years old.
A recent study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute concluded that if a driver sends a text message while driving, he or she is 23 times more likely to get into a collision. At highway speeds, just five seconds spent looking at the texting device equals 100 or more yards traveled without paying attention.
Be prepared for the law to change
While some states have implemented bans against use of cell phone handsets while driving, none currently ban all cell phone use, by handheld or hands-free device — despite data indicating that even hands-free use impairs a drivers concentration on the road. But change is likely coming: the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (which includes member automakers GM, Ford, BMW, Toyota, and others) has endorsed a ban on hand-held texting and cell phone use while driving. View a list of current state cell phone driving laws, published by the Governors Highway Safety Association.
At the recent Distracted Driving Summit, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced an administration-wide effort to solve the problem. President Obama has signed an executive order prohibiting federal employees from texting while driving government vehicles. In July, Sen. Charles Schumer introduced the ALERT driving bill (Avoiding Life Endangering and Reckless Texting), which threatens to repeal some federal highway funding from states that don’t ban texting while driving.
What you can do to prevent employee distracted driving
Distracted driving is a very real and potentially crippling threat to a business should you, your business partner, your spouse, or your employee cause an accident. Smart business owners are recognizing the problem and taking steps to reduce their risk.
- Develop and enforce strict driving policies regarding use of cell phones, navigation devices, and other distractions and impediments while driving on company time. Insist that drivers pull over when it’s necessary to use these technologies.
- Employers should carefully screen potential company drivers, checking their driving record to weed out those with citations for drunk driving, speeding or reckless operation.
- Commercial driving classes can help properly train employees in safe motor vehicle operation, and may even reduce your business auto insurance premium
- Complete business automobile insurance is the first line of defense to make sure your company is protected, regardless if employees drive their own vehicles or those owned by the company. Umbrella policies offer higher limits that could provide critical coverage in the event of a serious accident in which there are injuries or fatalities, leading to costly litigation.
For more information regarding business automobile insurance and business umbrella insurance, contact a Nationwide agent today.
