Distracted Driving Is a Growing Risk for Employers

Employers can establish training to reduce distracted driving behaviors.

Every business owner wants to see that employees get safely to the jobsite, and that cargo or products are safely delivered to their customers. However, every year distracted driving becomes a bigger barrier in the way of that goal.

Distracted Driving is Increasing

Driver distraction is anything that diverts the driver’s attention away from the driving task onto another activity. In 2023, eight percent of fatal crashes, 13% of injury crashes and 13% of all police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes were reported as distraction-affected crashes according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) figures. Additionally, 3,275 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver and over 324,000 people were injured, the agency noted.

Distractions can come from many sources – both inside and outside the vehicle. The biggest concern used to be distractions from outside the vehicle, but that has been continuously changing. Along with driving the vehicle, drivers are often trying to perform secondary tasks such as texting, monitoring GPS, tuning the radio, or interacting with passengers. These secondary activities can all take the driver’s eyes off the road and mind away from attentive driving.

New Technology is not Necessarily Improving Safety

Automobile and mobile device manufacturers are continually coming out with new equipment and features that are designed to help reduce driver distractions, but studies are now revealing that the hoped-for increase in safety is not being realized. For example, a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that portable hands-free and vehicle-integrated hands-free cell phones still require the driver’s eyes and hands at least half of the time. These visual-manual tasks are associated with a greater crash risk.

Resources to Help Employers Reduce Distracted Driving

Your local independent insurance agent is a great place to start when developing a plan to improve the safety of your employees and the driving public. They can speak to you more in depth about specific loss control services available for your business.

Cincinnati Insurance's loss control services offer fleet tracking and MVR monitoring solutions - both working to keep drivers safe and businesses running smoothly.

Additionally, many resources are available for employers who want to reduce distracted driving among their drivers. The National Safety Council offers a number of downloadable materials for employers on its website, including samples for an employer distracted driving policy, promotional campaign and employee communications.

This loss control information is advisory only. The author assumes no responsibility for management or control of loss control activities. Not all exposures are identified in this article. Contact your local, independent insurance agent for coverage advice and policy service.