Put the brakes on distracted driving!
Vehicle crashes are the number one cause of workplace death and distracted driving has become a persistent danger on our roads. In fact, half of drivers feel pressure from employers to drive distracted according to an NSC survey. While staying productive is important, distracted driving should never be considered a business necessity.
Distracted driving isn’t just a danger to you, it puts everyone around you at risk, including other drivers, pedestrians, road workers and first responders. Follow these steps to avoid distractions and help keep you, your co-workers and everyone else near our roads safe.
Remember, hands-free devices don’t make you safer – while they allow for one more hand to be placed on the steering wheel, they do not reduce the distraction to the brain. The message is a simple one, when you are behind the wheel, your only job is to drive
Tips
• Set your phone to Do Not Disturb or silence your notifications and store it in the glove box to avoid distractions
• Schedule calls for times when you will not be driving
• Avoid calling or texting your co-workers or clients when you know they are driving
• Plan your workday with regular breaks when you can make calls and send texts or emails so you aren’t tempted to do so behind the wheel
• Change your voicemail greeting to something like: “Hi, you’ve reached (insert name), I’m either away from my phone or I’m driving but please leave me a message.”
• When necessary, let co-workers and clients know when you’ll be driving and when you’ll be available, so they know when to expect to hear from you
• If you are in a vehicle with a distracted driver, whether it’s a co-worker or a rideshare driver, speak up for your safety and hold each other accountable
• If you need to check something behind the wheel, always pull over safely first – for professional drivers, this includes dispatching devices and mobile data terminals
• Program your GPS and start your music, podcast or audiobook while the vehicle is safely parked
