80% of vehicle accidents are due to a driver’s inattention. Keeping in mind that this can happen while on the job, a car crash can have an enormous negative impact on an organization in terms of lost time if the employee is severely injured or even an expensive lawsuit. According to the National Safety Council, it is four times likely that a driver will be in a car crash if he or she is using a cell phone.
There are many incidents where an activity can cause driver distraction, such as putting on makeup, reading the newspaper, eating and drinking or watching an episode of your favorite TV show on DVD. But the NSC has made it their mission to address the use of hand held cell phones and texting while driving as this risky behavior occurs more often over a longer duration of time – putting the majority of drivers at risk.
The NSC campaign has a well planned approach to public awareness as well as encouraging organizations to take action to protect their employees and themselves. Their advertising campaign is in a similar vein to the MADD advertisements, blunt, alarming, and meant to promote this dangerous activity as socially unacceptable. Their website also has a plethora of information – including maps indicating hand cell and texting bans while driving.
However, a large focus is on organizations as many have staff who need to be accessible while on the road. The NSC’s stand suggests that policies should not only be put in place but employers should educate their staff on risks as well as re-evaluate business practices. This is reinforced by an NSC presentation that shows the results of a survey conducted of organizations nationwide. Although 55% admitted to not having a policy in place, 70% of those who did said that the policy is respected and 85% said it did not affect productivity.
It’s a start – and the results look promising – so it’s a win-win situation for any organization who wants to take the initiative to make their workplace safe and be rewarded with recognition for being proactive.
Next week, we’ll give you some tips on how to get the ball rolling.