Help put the brakes on distracted driving

Last Friday (April 30) was the nation’s first “No Phone Zone Day,” developed by Oprah Winfrey and Harpo Studios to build awareness around the deadly habit of distracted driving.

Did you know that distracted driving – or talking on your cell phone or texting while driving - takes the lives of nearly 6,000 Americans a year? With the support of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and other leading transportation safety organizations, individuals and companies are taking a stand against cell phone-related auto accidents.

“I’ve made it my mission at the DOT to end distracted driving,” says U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. “We know that if we can get people to put away cell phones and other electronic devices when they are behind the wheel, we can save thousands of lives …”

Bottom line: Your company could be held liable for an employee causing an accident while using a cell phone in a company vehicle, or while conducting company business in a personal vehicle. Raise awareness and communicate your policy with our Texting While Driving Poster and Policy Kit. Or download and print a Text Messaging and Cell Phone Use Policy now for immediate use.

To learn more about the dangers of distracted driving and what you can do - personally and professionally - to curb it, check out the No Phone Zone website.

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Texting while driving a big no-no for federal employees – But how will it be enforced?

Help put the brakes on distracted driving

Texting while driving a big no-no for federal employees - But how will it be enforced?

President Obama signed an executive order Wednesday night banning federal employees from texting while operating government vehicles or driving their own vehicles on government business. State and local governments are encouraged to pass similar laws against “distracted driving”.

We’ve all seen it. People pecking away on their cell phones while sitting at traffic lights or worse, while hurtling down the highway at full speed. And as long as they’re looking at their cell phones, they’re not watching the road.

A Los Angeles Times article shares a startling statistic: Distracted driving delays reaction time as much as a blood alcohol content of 0.08%, according to research by the University of Utah.

In addition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 15% of driver deaths in the U.S. last year were a result of distracted driving. While it’s uncertain how many of these incidents were related to texting while driving, many experts consider it a growing problem - including Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

"To put it plainly, distracted driving is a menace to society,” says LaHood.

Now the hard part. While most of would agree that distracted driving is bad and that any efforts to curb it are good, how will the new ban be enforced? Will federal employers develop an official HR policy on the ban and if so, how will they apply it consistently to all employees? And regarding enforcement, how will cops identify someone texting while driving (especially if the person holds the phone below the window line)? Should cops be allowed to peruse a person’s cell phone to see if it was being used at the time of a traffic violation or accident? And what sort of privacy issues could all this raise?

Even if the ban IS just semantics, perhaps it will act as a deterrent. And perhaps it will lead to more people sharing LaHood’s point of view:

"Driving while distracted should just feel wrong - just as driving without a seat belt, or driving while intoxicated, seems wrong to most Americans."

Texting while driving a big no-no for federal employees - But how will it be enforced?

New cell phone laws create business liability

As of July 1, a new law makes it illegal to drive in California while talking on a hand-held phone. If Californians still wish to talk while driving, they must use hands-free cell phone devices or risk a ticket. Drivers under the age of 18 are prohibited from using any mobile device while driving, except for emergency calls.

As Gov. Schwarzenegger said in a June press conference, the purpose of the law is “getting drivers’ hands off the cell phone and onto the steering wheel.” He added that the new law will save almost 300 lives each year in California.

Drivers using cell phones without a hands-free device face a $20 ticket for a first offense and $50 for subsequent offenses.

The new law creates additional liabilities for businesses with employees who must drive as a part of work. Employers in California may be fined if they still require employees to use their mobile phones while driving or if they are not completely clear in policies regarding cell phones and driving.

Although the it does not impose specific requirements on employers, companies with employees in California should take a few precautionary steps in response to the new law. According to those at the Ford & Harrison law firm, employers should:

• Develop and implement a clear policy prohibiting the use of any mobile device to conduct business while driving, unless using a hands-free device.
• Train everyone at the company including employees, supervisors and managers about the policy and new law.
• Employers who reimburse employees for business-related cell phone charges, or provide employees with cell phones should also provide a hands-free device or reimburse employees for the purchase of such a device.

California now joins Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Washington state, New Jersey, New York with similar laws prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving.

Visit the California Department of Motor Vehicles for a complete FAQ regarding the law and more information on how the new cell phone laws may affect you and your business.

New cell phone laws create business liability