Safeguard Your Business with a Distracted Driving Policy
Employees who drive during the course of their work may also drive up their employer’s risk factors if they fall prey to distractions behind the wheel. The 2023 Travelers Risk Index finds that employees are using their phone when they are behind the wheel, which may contribute to distracted driving behaviors. In fact, the majority of employers (87%) expect their employees to respond to work-related messages when they are out of the office during work hours. And 44% of employees who take work-related calls while driving do so because they believe they always need to be available for work.
FOUR STEPS TO HELP MAKE YOUR DISTRACTED DRIVING POLICY MORE EFFECTIVE
- Create a policy
- Communicate to employees
- Follow the policy
- Promote safe driving practices
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Considering the potential dangers and costs associated with vehicle accidents, distraction caused by mobile device use is a key problem for employers to address. A clear distracted driving policy can help to improve driver safety and the safety of anyone who may be involved in a distracted driving accident. Here are four steps to help make your distracted driving policy more effective:
- Create – Create a formal, written policy stating your organization’s position on mobile device use while driving. Consider other distractions as well. A formal policy is the foundation of your distracted driving prevention program. It should apply to everyone in your organization who drives a vehicle on company business, whether they drive a delivery truck, a sales vehicle or use a personal vehicle to run office errands.
- Communicate – To be most effective, safety policies should be communicated on a regular basis. Have every employee who drives on company business acknowledge in writing that they have read, understand and will follow the policy. But don’t stop there. Use emails, newsletters, bulletin board postings, and signage in vehicles to communicate your policy in various ways throughout the year.
- Follow – Managers and office staff should lead by example. Let employees know that while they are driving, no phone call or email is more important than their safety. To further prove that point, managers and other staff need to refrain from calling or texting employees when they are on the road.
- Promote – Managers are in the best position to promote safe driving practices and the expected behaviors of those who drive for any business purpose. They can take steps to lead by example and actively reinforce the desired behavior.
