Your employees are, by far, your company’s greatest asset, so protecting them should be an absolute top priority. Yet, many employers think having commercial auto insurance is enough – and they don’t create (and enforce) a distracted driver policy.
In the U.S., we have an ever-growing expectation for on-demand communication and a culture-wide addiction to technology. So, it’s not shocking that employees often use their devices while driving – but perhaps it should be.
The National Safety Council reports that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of workplace death in the United States. In fact, a vehicle crash occurs every 5 seconds, an injury from a crash occurs every 7 seconds, and a death occurs every 15 minutes. Many of these happen during business hours or during an employee’s commute.
If every company created and enforced a distracted driver policy, those awful statistics would plummet. Isn’t it time you showed your employees that you value their safety above all else?
How to Create an Effective Distracted Driver Policy in 4 Steps
Simply creating a distracted driver policy isn’t difficult. But a policy that sits on a shelf and isn’t implemented effectively will have no impact on employee safety. So, it’s important to take a comprehensive approach – developing a company-wide commitment to driver safety (and not just a policy for the handbook).
Step 1: Craft the Distracted Driver Policy
A formal distracted driver policy is the foundation for your driver safety and accident prevention program. Outline your company’s stance on using mobile devices while driving, as well as other its commitment to avoiding other common distractions such as GPS technology. The distracted driver policy should stress that employees won’t be penalized by not responding to phone calls, text messages, or emails while driving, and it should offer strategies for managing incoming distractions. Many devices, for example, now have auto-responses that can be programed to deliver when the “driving mode” is enabled.
Key Takeaway: the most effective distracted driver policies are those that provide solutions instead of simply stating the company’s position.
Step 2: Communicate, Train, and Re-Train
The goal of a distracted driver policy and accident prevention program is to change driver attitudes, improve behaviors, and increase safety skills. It’s not as simple as telling drivers to not text-and-drive. So, communication and training become absolutely essential. Make sure drivers understand the real consequences – both big-picture consequences like risking their lives and company-based consequences like being fired. Of course, it’s important to train them on avoiding distractions, but it’s also important to train them on how to plan ahead and reduce the temptation of violating the policy while on the road. For example, drivers should be trained to set the GPS before putting the vehicle in drive, to turn on the “driving mode” for mobile devices, and to safely pull over if something unexpected comes up. Then, establish a schedule for reminders and re-training sessions to reinforce the policy.
Key Takeaway: successful driver safety programs aren’t a “one-and-done” scenario. They require initial training and continual reinforcement if they’re going to have an impact.
Step 3: Provide Necessary Support
Set your employees up for success in every way you can. This means making sure vehicles are maintained properly, have the necessary tech-related features, and have storage solutions so that work-related and/or personal items aren’t at risk of spilling, falling, or rolling underfoot. This also means supporting drivers with related company policies, such as safety break schedules (where these drivers can check their mobile devices, have a meal, etc.).
Key Takeaway: supporting your drivers with practical tools and policies greatly increases the impact of your distracted driver policy.
Step 4: Enforce Your Distracted Driver Policy
Lead by example, and make sure your management team does the same. For example, when calling someone who may be driving, make it standard practice to ask if it’s a good time to talk. But that’s just the beginning. Consider strategies for monitoring compliance, and be sure your management team is consistently following through with the policy’s consequences for non-compliance.
Key Takeaway: if you and your management team don’t take the distracted driver policy seriously, your employees won’t either.
Let’s Discuss How Safer Drivers Affect Your Commercial Auto Coverage
At Swarts, Manning & Associates, we provide a unique perspective on all of your commercial coverage options, and we help to determine which carrier best fits your business needs. We strive to find you the broadest coverage at the best available rate. Give us a call to get started: (833) 878-2820.
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