Driven to Distraction

Reduce risks with mobile phones that offer features to keep workers from texting while driving.

Distracted driving has become an increasing problem since the use of cell phones and texting, and it is a huge liability for companies with employees who operate company vehicles. Employees distracted by their cell phones while driving could result in injuries and even fatalities.

In 2010, the federal government banned truck and bus drivers from texting while driving in an effort to eliminate the dangers of distracted driving.  Many companies are following the federal government’s lead by prohibiting all cell phone use, especially texting, while driving company vehicles. While this helps reduce liability exposure, it creates another challenge for construction business owners: How can you easily communicate with field employees in a timely manner without violating the company policy and the law?

One way to get around this challenge is by requiring employees to use cell phones that allow them to “speak their text messages” rather than type them. This provides a simple way to communicate with workers without forcing them to answer a wireless phone or radio, especially when it could result in an accident.
The home office can send text messages to individuals or groups, and the only way drivers can answer messages is by quickly speaking their voice reply. Workers should only retrieve text messages when stopped and legal to do so.

When drivers can speak messages rather than text, their reply is faster and safer, and a spoken message often provides more detail than a text reply.  In fact, some wireless networks allow text messaging to be disabled on drivers’ phones to prevent them from receiving text messages from anyone except other workers. This functionality also prevents employees from doing any outbound text messaging.

Some cell phones also have a capability that notifies the sender when anyone listens to the message.  All of these messages, voice or text, can be recorded and archived for future reference if needed.

Drivers will no longer be distracted by answering calls or sending texts while driving. Instead, they can stay focused on the job.

Did You Know?

Motor vehicle-related incidents are consistently the leading cause of work-related fatalities in the United States. Of approximately 5,700 fatalities annually reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 35 percent are associated with motor vehicles.

Construction Business Owner, April 2011