Your role in reducing distracted driving

By Steven Bojan – Director of Safety Services for Transportation, Sentry Insurance

For many over-the-road truck drivers, their cellphone is the primary connection to operations, customers, and their families. As the owner of a trucking company, you can have a big influence in ensuring drivers aren't using their phones while they're behind the wheel.

The Federal Department of Transportation bans the use of handheld cellphones by drivers of commercial motor vehicles.

You and your drivers are likely well aware of the law. But drivers may not understand how big a risk it is to use their phone while driving. Share some of these statistics with your drivers to help get the point across:

• Drivers who use handheld devices are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.

• Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving when not distracted.

• Using a cellphone while driving delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of 0.08%.

On a regular basis, educate every driver in your fleet about the dangers of distracted driving. Here are ways you can promote safe driving habits:

• Develop a safe driving policy for your organization: Require each employee to sign an acknowledgement form confirming their receipt of your policy. Have all employees acknowledge the policy annually.

• Meet with your legal counsel: Ensure your policies and procedures align with all applicable state and federal laws.

• Enforce your distracted driving policy: Apply this policy equally among all employees across your organization.

• Use technology to monitor and prevent distracted driving: This includes cellphone restrictors for drivers and video-based technology to help identify drivers who use phones while driving. Consult your human resources and legal advisors regarding proper implementation of these technologies in your business.

• Educate dispatchers: Dispatchers shouldn’t expect immediate responses if drivers are on the road.

• Securely store phones when driving: Remind your drivers to set their voicemail and call forwarding when on the road.

With nuclear verdicts on the rise in the trucking industry, it’s essential to avoid the situations that give rise to them. And distracted driving can be one of those situations.

So it’s imperative for you to remind every member of your company how important it is to be free of distractions while driving. Employing the strategies above can help your drivers be safer on the road, and produce outcomes that benefit everyone.

With nuclear verdicts on the rise in the trucking industry, it’s essential to avoid the situations that give rise to them. And distracted driving can be one of those situations.

So it’s imperative for you to remind every member of your company how important it is to be free of distractions while driving. Employing the strategies above can help your drivers be safer on the road, and produce outcomes that benefit everyone.