Dangers of Distracted Driving

Using cell phones or smart phones while driving is becoming a standard practice.  More and more businesses expect their employees to be accessible via cell or smart phone at all times. As a result, distracted driving can be a serious problem on our roadways. Consider these statistics from www.distraction.gov, a website devoted to the issue of distracted driving:

• Using a cell phone while driving, whether it’s handheld or hands-free, delays a driver’s reactions as
much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. (Source: University
of Utah)
• In 2009, an estimated 448,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes that were reported to have
involved distracted driving. (FARS and GES)
• Drivers who use hand-held devices are four timesas likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure
themselves. (Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• The proportion of fatalities reportedly associated with driver distraction increased from 10 percent in
2005 to 16 percent in 2009. During that time, fatal crashes with reported driver distraction also
increased from 10 percent to 16 percent. (FARS and the National Automotive Sampling)

According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Association (NHTSA), every minute of the day over
800,000 vehicles are being driven by someone using a hand-held cell phone. Some of your employees may be
among this number. If those employees cause an accident while driving on company business, you could be
responsible not just for workers’ compensation and disability claims, but also for liability judgments. Taking
action to help ensure that your employees exercise good judgment behind the wheel can help save lives and money.