Mike Pitcher, President of MAP Consulting, presented on distracted driving at this month’s Risk Control Webinar. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving is defined as any activity that diverts attention from driving, including using your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, controlling entertainment or navigation systems, etc. Currently, 29 states and four territories have hands-free driving laws, while 49 states have texting-while-driving bans.
Continue reading for an overview of Pitcher’s presentation.
According to Pitcher, there are three types of driving distractions:
All three are impacted when holding a digital device in hand.
During his presentation, Pitcher shared several statistics that showcased just how much of an issue distracted driving is in our society.
Pitcher asserted that company leaders have the power to influence policy change at the workplace, and obtaining leadership buy-in is a must. The solution, according to Pitcher, is to enforce a total cell phone ban when employees operate company-owned vehicles by issuing notices, warnings, and by the third offense: termination.
Many companies have enacted zero-tolerance policies for using a phone while operating a company-owned vehicle. This small change can have tremendous results for transportation companies: fewer car accidents, fewer injuries among the workforce, and less damage to company-owned vehicles.
Initiate a conversation with your employees today about the critical importance of eliminating distracted driving and the positive impact it has on the safety of everyone. Visit the National Safety Council to learn more about the dangers of distracted driving.
This presentation was part of Captive Resources’ Risk Control Webinar Series — regular installments of webinars to educate the group captive members we work with on topics like workplace safety, organizational leadership, and company performance. The thoughts and opinions expressed in these webinars are those of the presenters and do not necessarily reflect Captive Resources’ positions on any of the above topics.
