Moments of distraction can lead to tragic accidents

Taking a few moments to look away from the road in order to adjust the radio, answer a text or grab for food can result in tragedy.  

Distracted driving – described by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as anything that causes a driver to take their eyes off the road, hands off the wheel or mind off driving safely – is an issue that poses significant risks to road safety, particularly for business drivers who spend extended hours behind the wheel. 

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), 3,275 people lost their lives in distraction-affected crashes in 2023, a slight decrease from 3,315 fatalities in 2022. However, the long-term trend shows that distraction-related crashes have increased since 2014. In addition to fatalities, distracted driving also results in a staggering number of injuries. In 2023 alone, 289,310 people were injured in distraction-related crashes. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which targets distracted driving with its Put the Phone Away or Pay campaign, has said that due to data limitations the true effect of distracted driving may be underreported. NHTSA said distracted driving may actually be a factor in 29% of all crashes, leading to more than 10,000 fatalities and 1.3 million injuries. 

These numbers highlight the urgent need for businesses to address distracted driving among their employees. 

The scope of distracted driving

Nationwide’s recent driver behavior survey illustrates how widespread this issue is. Workers who drive a vehicle as one of their core job duties reported that drivers of both passenger vehicles and other business drivers are looking at their phones more and are more distracted overall today than they were a year ago. 

Breaking this down: 

• 77% said passenger car drivers look at their phones more today than a year ago and 69% said other business drivers are looking at their phones more – a 6-percentage point increase over a year ago. 

• 77% said passenger car drivers are more distracted today – a 10-percentage point increase over 12 months ago – and 67% of other business drivers are distracted. 

When thinking about their own actions, about 1 in 4 drivers admit to being distracted while they are behind the wheel for work. Using GPS or other navigation systems was cited by 40% as being the reason for distraction, and responding to work-related calls (38%) and eating or drinking while driving (37%) followed closely behind. Other distractions that were reported include: 

• Adjusting music or radio (31%) 

• Talking or texting on a phone (30%) 

• Daydreaming (26%) 

• Interacting with other drivers (22%) 

• Responding to work-related texts (22%)

The financial impact on employers

It’s critical for business owners and safety supervisors to understand the scope of this problem, its financial implications for employers, and the steps that can be taken to mitigate these risks. 

According to the NSC, the total economic cost of fatal and nonfatal preventable injury-related incidents in 2023 was $1.3 billion. This figure includes employers’ uninsured costs, vehicle damage, wage and productivity losses, and medical and administrative expenses. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration puts the number much higher at more than $98.2 billion because distracted driving is underreported as a factor in accidents. 

On average, a non-fatal injury crash at work that involves distraction costs the employer more than $100,000, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. 

Reducing distracted driving

While drivers should routinely check their mirrors, speedometer, etc., best practice is to limit glances away from the road ahead to less than 1.5 seconds. Recognizing the danger of distracted driving, federal rules aim to limit actions that can lead to inattentiveness for many commercial drivers.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR), which regulate commercial vehicles operating in interstate travel prohibit handheld phones, texting, or other manual phone interaction (§392.80 and §392.802). The regulations do allow for “one-touch” initiating or ending of a call. Most state DOTs have incorporated this rule for intrastate driving as well. The FMCSR define a commercial vehicle as: 

• Having a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating (including trailer) of more than 10,000 pounds or more. 

• Designed to transport more than eight passengers (including the driver) for compensation. 

• Designed to transport more than 15 passengers (including the driver) not for compensation. 

• Used in transporting hazardous materials under 49 U.S.C. 5103 and transported in quantities requiring placarding. 

Hands-free doesn’t mean distraction-free

In addition to federal rules, organizations should have policies and programs in place to limit inattentive driving. Core components include: 

• Written policies prohibiting or limiting distracting secondary tasks or driving while drowsy. Policies prohibiting cell phone use are not enough. See our Sample Attentive Driving Policy for policy wording examples. 

• Clear guidance limiting staff from calling drivers when they know employees are driving, or expecting drivers to respond to calls, texts or emails while driving. 

• Allowing drivers to refuse to answer a call when conditions are not safe to do so. 

• Regular education and awareness on the hazards of inattentive and distracted driving. 

• Monitoring drivers’ compliance with policy through observations and ride-alongs. 

• Utilization of technology to prevent use or monitor compliance: phone apps, telematics, dashcams, etc. 

• Leadership leading by example. Nothing sends the wrong message more than a manager calling an employee while the manager themself is driving. 

Many organizations are taking a proactive approach and use technology to control and monitor cell phone use. These solutions range from simple do-not-disturb-while-driving settings on a phone, to full software or telematics solutions that can lock down all phones or monitor phone use. Click here for a more detailed overview of how this technology can benefit organizations. 

Training and resources

Nationwide offers training courses to its customers on a variety of fleet safety topics, including distracted and inattentive driving. Customers can find this training and more resources by visiting our CL Safe Driver webpage. 

The following resources also provide information that can help organizations combat distracted driving and introduce safe driving practices: 

• Distracted driving article with sample policy

• Distracted driving infographic

Distracted driving is not just a personal issue; it is a business risk that can have far-reaching consequences for employers. By understanding the scope of the problem and implementing effective risk management strategies, businesses can protect their employees, reduce costs, and contribute to safer roads for everyone.