Distracted Driving

THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION’S (OSHA) TOP PRIORITY IS KEEPING WORKERS SAFE.: “When OSHA receives a credible complaint that an employer requires texting while driving or who organizes work so that texting is a practical necessity, we will investigate and where necessary issue citations and penalties to end this practice.”

DRIVER ELECTRONIC DEVICE: Use The percentage of drivers who were text messaging or visibly manipulating hand-held devices increased significantly from 0.6 percent in 2009 to 0.9 percent in 2010, while the driver hand held cell phone use stood at 5 percent in 2010.

DRIVER HOLDING PHONES TO THEIR EARS WHILE DRIVING: The percentage of drivers holding cell phones to their ears while driving stood at 5 percent in 2010. This rate translates into 660,000 vehicles driven by people using handheld cell phones at a typical daylight moment in 2010.

CRASH RATES FOR YOUNG DRIVERS ARE HIGH: In the United States, the crash rate per mile driven for 16-to-19 year olds is 4 times higher than the risk for older drivers. A total of 4,054 teenagers ages 13-19 died in motor vehicle crashes in 2008. Young Drivers and Distracted Driving: One in four (26%) of American teens of driving age say they have texted while driving, and half (48%) of all teens ages 12 to 17 say they’ve been a passenger while a driver has texted behind the wheel. Young Distracted Drivers and Fatal Crashes: Teen drivers are more likely than other age groups to be involved in a fatal crash where distraction is reported. In 2009, 16% of teen drivers involved in a fatal crash were reported to have been distracted. Talk to your young teen drivers.

DANGERS OF DISTRACTED DRIVING: Distracted driving crashes killed more than 5,400 people and injured nearly 500,000 in 2009. Researchers report that texting while driving claimed more than 16,000 lives from 2001 to 2007. Reaction time is delayed for a driver talking on a cell phone as much as it is for a driver who is legally drunk. Drivers who are texting take their eyes off the road 400% more than when they are not texting. More texting leads to more crashes. With each additional 1 million text messages, fatalities from distracted driving rose more than 75%.

SAFETY AT WORK IS NO ACCIDENT: Building a workplace culture of safety requires clear, explicit policies and sound practices.

EMPLOYERS SHOULD:
Prohibit texting while driving. OSHA encourages employers to declare their vehicles “text-free zones” and to emphasize that commitment to their workers, customers, and communities. Establish work procedures and rules that do not make it necessary for workers to text while driving.

MORE WORKERS ARE KILLED EVERY YEAR IN MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES THAN ANY OTHER CAUSE.

Disclaimer:  The information and suggestions contained in these safety talks are believed to be reliable. However, the authors of the topics and the owners of this web site accept no legal responsibility for the correctness, sufficiency, or completeness of such information or suggestions contained within these topics. These guidelines do not supercede local, state, or federal regulations and must not be construed as a substitute for, or legal interpretation of, any OSHA regulations.

Additional Articles – please check out this article about driving while texting by Jennifer Allen
Driving While Intexticated