Distracted driving policy: Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

article originally written by Geotab, edited by AttriX

Understand the importance of a well-researched distracted driving policy and how telematics can help with fleet safety.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about eight people are killed every day in crashes that are reported to involve distracted drivers in the United States. The same report suggests that texting is the biggest cause of distracted driving. Sending or reading a text takes your attention away from the wheel for five seconds. At 55 mph, that's like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed. The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates 42,000 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2020. A preliminary report released by NSC suggests that there’s a 16% increase in motor vehicle deaths in just the first six months of 2021.

How do you prevent fatigue while driving?

The report shared by Global Fleet Champions gives professional-driver employers guidance on best practices for managing occupational road risk, regardless of budget, fleet size, or vehicle type. Managing fatigue is a shared responsibility between a company and the driver.

Here are a few points that each of them can take to improve driver safety.

Company:

1.Make sure driving shifts include enough breaks for recovery between shifts. Drivers need to have a work/life balance.

2.Provide employees with information and tools to enable them to manage their personal fatigue risk.

3.Treat all reports of fatigue seriously.

Drivers:

1.Take time to have enough breaks. Drivers should use their rest time.

2.Manage out-of-hours activities so they do not adversely affect work performance.

3.Report operational or personal factors that could increase fatigue risk.

What is a distracted driving policy?

The cost of distracted driving for companies is high, considering potential costs related to injuries and liability. Therefore, employers are responsible for maintaining the safety of their workers, and setting up an effective distracted driving policy is part of this.

How to build an effective distracted driving policy?

A functional distracted driving policy is practical, states different dos and don'ts and highlights the importance of driver safety.

Here are a few quick steps a company can take to make sure its distracted driving policy is most effective:

1. Cover the subject well

Make sure the policymakers include all the information and cover areas of concern. Research and compare your company's distracted driving policy with that of other companies and implement pointers that you might have missed. Also, check expert sites such as the National Safety Council for accurate facts.

2. Create a policy for all

This distracted driving policy should apply to everyone in the company: fleet drivers, car drivers, delivery drivers, or anyone who drives a vehicle.

3. Educate your employees

All the employees in the company need to receive proper training and education regarding the distracted driving policy. Organizing seminars, discussions and interactive sessions are a good way to drive the point home.

4. Promote and refresh your policies and procedures

Every once in a while, remind all the employees to go through the policy, refresh their memory about why it is important to follow the policy and why it must be reinforced..

How can you enforce a distracted driving policy?

Here are a few pointers that will help you enforce a distracted driving policy in your company:

1-Clearly communicate to all employees the consequences of violations.

2-Identify performance indicators that are easy to measure and manage with the help of GoSight.

3-Implement driver scorecards that will make the drivers accountable for their actions.

4-Motivate the drivers by “gamifying” the safety program through the Driver Challenge from AttriX.

5-Use an effective fleet safety management solution such as MyGeotab.

How can telematics help improve fleet safety?

Fleet safety is a key pillar of the Geotab fleet management solution. Telematics can support a company’s safety program and distracted driving policy with in-vehicle driver coaching, instant collision notification and risk and safety reporting.

These data points can help improve driving behaviors by generating safety dashboard reports, custom safety alerts, advanced collision systems, trip history and rules setting.

You can also monitor fleet safety in real-time and track speeding, harsh braking, and harsh cornering. All this information can help you effectively coach the drivers and prevent distracted driving. Trend reports can identify which fleet drivers need additional training.

“ More than 1.3 million people die on roads every year. Many road deaths involve a vehicle being driven for work. Having organizations like Geotab use their expertise and technology to inform and educate at-work drivers is vital to help towards Brake's vision of safe and healthy mobility for all.” -Chris Willocks , Corporate Partnership Manager, Brake, the road safety charity

Drivers, fleet managers, cyclists, pedestrians, employers, policymakers, governments, road designers and manufacturers can all contribute towards the safety of one another. When all stakeholders work hand-in-hand, we can help make the roads safer for everyone.

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Ensure the safety of your drivers with AttriX's unbeatable solution duo

At AttriX, our team of experts works continuously to develop and improve solutions to make the road safer for everyone. Driven by this mission and sensitive to the dramatic consequences of distracted driving, we offer the best solutions on the market to ensure maximum safety for drivers.

Driver Challenge

The Driver Challenge is an exclusive program developed by the AttriX team to motivate your drivers to improve their driving habits in a fun way. By encouraging friendly competition, our famous contest helps increase fleet safety and productivity, as well as driver performance and commitment.

BENEFITS FOR DRIVERS

-Encourages friendly competition.

-Increases awareness of the impacts of poor driving habits.

-Identifies and helps avoid risky behavior.

-Provides an unparalleled training tool for prevention.

-Provides CONTINUOUS DRIVING MONITORING through real-time notifications.

BENEFITS FOR MANAGERS

-Allows for the tagging and monitoring of drivers' driving habits.

-Provides FLEET, DRIVER AND RANKINGS REPORT MAPS.

-ANALYSES WEEKLY AND QUARTERLY TRENDS.

-Provides an unparalleled training tool for Coaching.

GoSight

In order to significantly increase the safety of your fleet, the GoSight camera constantly captures what is happening on the road. When exceptions to rules such as hard braking, sharp turns and tailgating are detected, our dashcam automatically saves the video analyzing the seconds before, during and after the event.

BENEFITS

-Provides indisputable evidence and facilitates insurance claims in the event of an accident.

-Allows you to customize and target exceptions that fit your needs and priorities.

-Offers an unparalleled prevention training tool (driver coaching).

-Equipped with an improved night vision system offering optimal HD images day and night.