For businesses with employees who drive for the company, distracted driving is a serious threat to their employees and the public. Employees talking on their cell phones, texting and reading while driving can lead to terrible accidents. These accidents can cause bodily harm and even death. In addition to the human tragedy, business owners open themselves up to significant legal problems and possibly monumental financial judgements. Therefore, it is critical for businesses to reduce their company’s exposure to liability and collision damages caused by distracted driving-related crashes.
Many commercial vehicles have worse driver visibility than cars. They are often harder to slow down in an emergency. For example, vehicles that pull trailers will have increased stopping distances and make emergency maneuvers more challenging. Their vehicle already has safety challenges, adding distracted driving increases this challenge.
Steps to Consider to Prevent Distracted Driving
Educate your drivers and all employees about risks and consequences of driving while distracted. Remind them that there are many types of distractions. These include but are not limited to: taking eyes off the road, taking hands off the wheel to reach for or hold something, day dreaming, talking to a passenger, or other preoccupations. Of course, texting, reading, using a navigation device and talking on the phone (without a hands-free kit) are wrong, in many states illegal, and extremely dangerous. Make sure all your vehicles have a hands-free kit even if it is not a law in your state yet!
Consider using some of the newer solutions that discourage distracted driving. One solution actually prevents distracted driving due to an employee’s phone because it can’t be turned on or used while driving.
At a minimum, use free service provider apps to detect when drivers are in a moving vehicle. The app automatically responds on behalf of the driver by sending a standard response asking for patience while the driver is unavailable and will return the call or text when he/she is no longer driving.
Develop, communicate and consistently enforce driving policies.
Confirm that other company policies do not contradict safe driving policies.
If your operation has critical needs to reach drivers for emergency dispatch calls or other unavoidable conversations, consider ways to minimize risk. Direct drivers to find the nearest, safe parking area where they can use technology safely.
Educate part-time or casual drivers who operate personal vehicles on your behalf on the importance of safe driving.
These are just a few of the steps a business can take in order to ensure the safety of their drivers and the general public. Safe driving!
For more information, please call 760-576-6202 or visit our website at www.senslynx.com
About SensLynx - SensLynx is an all-in-one solution within the IoT & Fleet Tracking space that supplies the hardware, data service, applications and support to Value-added Resellers for their customers.