The holiday gift on everyone's list? Employer policies against distracted driving

It's been a challenging year for Americans, and I think they deserve a truly valuable bonus: a distracted driving policy from their employers.

• In October, President Obama gave one to Federal government employees.
• Last week, Chrysler gave one to its employees.
• Two days ago, Governor Steve Beshear gave one to Kentucky's state employees.
• Yesterday, the New York City Taxicab Commission gave an even tougher policy to cabbies.

Who's next?

Chrysler takes the lead. It's great that one of America's automakers, for whom automotive safety is so important, has acknowledged their natural leadership role on this. "As an automaker," said Nancy Rae, VP of Human Resources, "we expect higher driving standards from our work force and business partners."

In Kentucky, Gov. Beshear told the State Journal,

“With nearly 34,000 civilian employees, state government can and should demonstrate leadership in reducing the dangers of text messaging while driving."

And, praising his action, the Louisville Courier-Journal agreed: "Reasonable people expect the government to do its part to try to save them from irresponsible drivers."

The New York City Taxicab Commission voted unanimously to prohibit cab drivers from wearing in-ear devices. As the New York Times explains,

"Cabbies have been banned from chatting on cellphones, even hands-free ones, for a decade. The problem was that the discreet nature of in-ear devices made enforcement nearly impossible."

The city of New York has long understood the severe cognitive distraction posed by hands-free devices, but New York's cab drivers still don't seem to get it. Listen to what one driver told the Times: “I liken driving in New York to a war zone. You have to multitask.”

Well, actually, Ms. Vega, when you're behind that wheel, you have only one task: drive safely. As Chrysler's Steve Bartoli puts it, "A driver's primary responsibility is to be in control of their vehicle." It's pretty simple.

I'm heartened that the idea that even hands-free devices should be put aside when driving is finally gaining traction. Kate White, editor of Cosmopolitan, recently told her readers,

"You should never drive while texting or talking on a cell phone, even if you’re using a headset or technology such as Bluetooth. Our brain just can’t concentrate fully on driving while it’s engaged in a conversation (even if it’s a dull one!)."

Whether hand-held or hands-free, distracted driving is dangerous driving.

Employers should help spread that message by giving their employees a distracted driving policy. Preferably one reinforced by a message to supervisors that employees are not expected to answer their devices while driving and must not be penalized for letting their phones ring when they're behind the wheel.

This holiday season, please, join the Drive Against Distraction.

Comments

[Jay Anderson]

Truly disappointed that the DOT has not paid attention to our program, which has been addressing the distracted driving issue since 2006.

www.sajd.org

[acuvue oasys]

PLEASE do something about this distracted driving - here in TEXAS it is the norm to pass a driver in early morning rush hour, during pouring rain and they are texting! Little wonder there's a pile up every single day here. I'm sure it's the same elsewhere.

It's gotten so bad, they have outlawed using the mobile phone alltogether in school zones.

Australia banned using them at all whilst driving YEARS ago.

[Amanda Aselia]

In my opinion it is just unresponsible to text messages or make phone calls while driving - I hope that the goverment will make some steps into the right direction!

[John Rob]

I concentrate on the driving when behind wheel. I use flexible mobile application for texting without losing concentration on driving by downloading http://www.drivesafe.ly/ apps.

[Tania]

YAY! Thank you for finally doing something for those of us who fly often. It's great to actually have the government do something FOR THE PEOPLE instead of for industry!

[Barry Graham]

Talking with a hands-free device is no more dangerous than talking to a passenger in the car. Talking on a bluetooth should never be made illegal. The classic "Time Tactics for Highly Successful People" recommends using driving time to catch up on phone calls that need to be made. Handsfree phone calls are a good use of what might otherwise be wasted time - certainly better use of time than listening to talk show hosts and their listeners that call in. People who cannot talk on a handsfree while driving safely probably cannot drive safely - period. Watching people drive here in the DC area, it's amazing there are not more accidents than there actually are. People drive with almost zero stopping distance between themselves and the car in front. People drive slowly in the left lane, which is meant to be for passing, forcing people to pass on the right which ought to be illegal as it is in other countries since it's hard to see outside the right side of the car properly. I personally prefer to use my car time listening to audio books. Are we going to ban those too? We should if we ban handsfree calling, because listening to an audio book or podcast requires just as much concentration.

[Barry Graham]

Also just because the editor of Cosmopolitan makes a statement, it doesn't make her right. In fact having been with my child in a pharmacy where this magazine was displayed and having had to distract my child so she wouldn't see the filthy headline on the front cover, I would say that a statement by this editor actually lessens the credibility of the claim.

[Michael E. Bailey]

It comes as tremendous and very positive news that many important national and regional organizations are putting in policies against distracted driving. Even against hands-free cell phones which goes beyond even California's state law on banning driving and talking on cell phones which excempts using hands-free phones. This is truly great news and timely, coming at a time of year when it is necessary to be more alert than ever. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.

[wewe]

Good

[Gregory Toussaint]

As the world focuses on the dangers of distracted driving,
specifically text messaging and mobile phone use by drivers, new
voice activated technology emerges that will work with any mobile phone connected to any mobile carrier.

Safe driving is not expensive, it's priceless.
http://www.fdi-voice.com

[Bill]

Drivers do many things that are just as, if not more, distracting while driving (see Stutts AAA Foundation report). The problem isnt the amount of distraction, its the enormous frequency at which it is occuring. There are a lot more people out there on cell phones than doing make-up, eating hamburgers, changing CDs, etc. My only wish in this whole debate is that it would include a more global view of driver distraction and stop treating cell phones as if they were the first and only.

[play-1st]

nice

[JBL in Maine]

Here in Maine our law was written to address distracted driving, period, meaning any behavior that (a) isn't necessary to the operation of the vehicle, and (b) actually impairs (or would be expected to impair) the ability of the driver to safely operate the vehicle.

In addition to cell phone activity, this means shaving, putting on make-up, reading the paper, e-mailing, watching a DVD, and a host of other activities people think they can do while driving.

Those who think hands-free cell-phoning is better than regular cell-phoning, or who think it's the same as carrying on a conversation with another person in the car are, in a word, wrong.

The other person in the car can see what you see, so you share the same reality. The person on the other end of a cell phone is in an entirely different reality, and the cognitive energy spent focusing on that person and what s/he is saying is much more of a distraction.

But hey, don't take my word for it. Check out “Understanding the Distracted Brain: Why driving while using hands-free cell phones is risky behavior” (National Safety Council): http://www.nsc.org/safety_road/Distracted_Driving/Documents/Dstrct_Drvng_White_Paper_Fnl(5-25-10).pdf

[Car dvd players]

People drive with almost zero stopping distance between themselves and the car in front. People drive slowly in the left lane, which is meant to be for passing, forcing people to pass on the right which ought to be illegal as it is in other countries since it's hard to see outside the right side of the car properly.

[Simon]

I think that while you are driving a car you should not be talking on a phone. Taking your hands from the wheel to pick up and talk on a phone distracts you from what you task is which is to drive your car. We have way too many people using phones to talk or text while driving and not paying attention to driving their vehicles.

[bournemouth beauty salons]

Texting whilst driving is deadly, my friend does it and scares the hell out of me. Mobile phones should be banned whilst driving in all countries.
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