April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and as we hit the road, it’s important to exercise vigilance. Distracted driving is one of the primary causes of accidents in the United States, accounting for approximately 25% of crashes.
According to OSHA, “Employers should prohibit any work policy or practice that requires or encourages workers to text while driving, as it greatly increases the risk of being injured or killed in a motor vehicle crash.”
Distracted Driving: CDC Recommendations
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends employers implement the following to help combat distracted driving:
- Ban all phone use (texting, handheld, hands-free) while driving a company vehicle and ban use of company-issued phones while driving a personal vehicle.
- Require workers to pull over in a safe location to look up directions, text or to make or receive a call.
- Consider using phone-blocking technology to limit workers’ cell phone use while driving.
- Consider using technology that detects and warns drivers of distracted driving behaviors (such as cameras that detect when eye gaze is not on the road).
- Prepare workers before implementing these policies by communicating:
- That driving is their primary job when they are behind the wheel
- Distracted driving puts them at risk of a crash
- 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.
More from the RCM&D Risk Consulting Team
The RCM&D risk consulting team has a number of useful resources to help educate your employees on the dangers of distracted driving. Click here to check out the April 2022 edition of our Risk Mitigation Breakdown detailing distracted driving tips and reach out to an RCM&D advisor today to continue the conversation.