Distracted Driving Safety Overview
Distracted driving occurs when a driver is engaged in activities that divert his or her attention away from the road. Distractions during driving put the lives of drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and other drivers at risk. One of the most common forms of distracted driving is the use of a cellular smartphone while driving.
According to the US Department of Transportation, texting while driving increases the chance of a crash by 23× compared to driving without distraction. Over 30% of drivers in the United States have texted while driving, according to studies and polls. Younger drivers, in particular, but not exclusively, are prone to distracted driving.
Types of Distractions while Driving
Visual, physical, and cognitive distractions are the 3 types that might occur while driving. Taking one's eyes off the road, like glancing at a GPS or roadside billboards or checking a child's seat belt in the rearview mirror, are all visual examples that can lead to distracted driving.
Manual distractions include rummaging for anything in a bag, eating or drinking, grooming, or changing radio stations with one's hands off the wheel. A mentally unfocused driver exposes himself to cognitive distractions. Texting and calling on one's cell phone are examples of distractions that combine some or all of these categories.
Dangers of Distracted Driving
In 2019, distracted driving accidents killed over 3,000 people. 9% of all fatal crashes involved distracted drivers.
Texting while driving is a major contributor to road fatalities. For every 1 million additional text messages, casualties from distracted driving behavior rise by over 75%.
Distractions cause more fatal crashes in people under the age of 20 than in any other age group.
According to studies, drivers who use their cellphones just for a single text message take their eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. This is the equivalent of driving a football field blindfolded at 55 mph.
How Employers Can Reduce Distracted Driving
Using cell phones while driving is undoubtedly the major cause of distracted driving. Every day, millions of people who drive to work put themselves in danger by texting while driving. With the widespread use of smartphones, this problem is only getting worse.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers need to safeguard their workers while they are driving. This is true whether they drive extensively or just occasionally to conduct their work duties. It doesn't matter if employees drive their personal car or a company-provided one.
Here are some of the things employers can do to prevent distracted driving:
- Ban the use of cellphones for all employees while driving.
- Disincentivize the use of cellphones during driving.
- Establish explicit protocols, times, and locations for drivers to safely communicate with management and customers.
- Educate workers on hazard-free communications practices during orientation and training.
- Remove any financial or other incentives that encourage employees to use their cellphones while driving.
Other Measures to Reduce Distracted Driving
Legislation has been introduced to reduce fatalities caused by distracted driving. These restrictions vary between states. Currently, no state has a complete ban on the use of cell phones while driving. Most restrictions are limited to drivers using only hands-free devices to use their cellphones.
Awareness campaigns run by the US Department of Transportation, the NHTSA, and cellular service providers encourage safer driving practices and discourage cell phone use while driving.
Technology is also playing its part to reduce distracted driving incidents. Carmakers have introduced dashboard and heads-up display systems, driver monitoring technologies, and applications that disable cellphones during high-speed motion.
Studies have found rumble road strips to be highly effective. Rumble strips have been shown to reduce crash injury from 38% to 50% on rural lanes and from 50% to 90% on urban roadways.
In addition, obtaining the OSHA 30 card on behalf of the U.S. Department of Labor will give you an advantage over other employees when applying for a job position in any construction facility near your area.
