It used to be when you saw an erratic driver, you would think “drunk driver.” Now you probably think “cell phone driver.”
Decades ago, when research first pointed to the safety benefits of wearing seat belts, companies started requiring their employees to “buckle up” when driving on company business. These employers led the way in reaching the point we are at today where 87% of all vehicle occupants are belted. Thousands of lives are saved every year as a result of their leadership.
We now face a similar challenge with distracted driving, especially distraction from mobile communication devices such as cell phones. An abundance of research makes it clear that using a cell phone while driving, even hands free, is an extremely dangerous practice and results in substantial risk of crashes, injuries and even fatalities.
The National Safety Council estimates that at least 25% of Fortune 500 companies have policies that prohibit all forms of cell phone use by the driver while driving a company vehicle or traveling on company business. As a pleasant surprise, nearly all companies report these policies have resulted in no reduction in employee productivity or customer service levels.
David Teater, traffic safety advocate and former corporate CEO, can help your company understand the business case in support of policies that prohibit employee cell phone while driving. He will share how thousands of companies have implemented these polices while experiencing no loss in performance, making for safer workforces and safer roads.