Will Driving and Talking Kill Your Business?

USA - As of January 3, 2012, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration deemed it illegal for those driving under a commercial license to use a hand-held cell phone while driving. This is great news to those concerned with highway safety. After all, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in 2009, 5,474 people were killed in crashes involving driver distraction, and 448,000 were injured, while one study at Monash University found that drivers who use hand-held devices are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.  

The downside for business starts at the steep fines: drivers convicted of violating the cell phone ban face penalties of $2,750 for each offense and the risk of being disqualified from operating a commercial vehicle. Perhaps the most controversial portion of the new law states that companies found to have violated the rules that allow their drivers to use hand-held devices face penalties of up to $11,000 for each offense. The American Trucking Association criticized this as unrealistic and unfair. Meanwhile, some say that businesses can expect this to be a new metric by which their insurance premiums are calculated.  

Some firms may worry that the ban will impact their bottom line since the ability for dispatchers to communicate with drivers will diminish. However, a National Safety Council survey found that 99 percent of businesses that banned cell phone use while driving noted no decreased productivity, and some actually reported improved performance. 

A few ways companies involved in shipping, manufacturing, warehousing and transportation can ensure their drivers follow the new rules:

1. Write a policy about cell phone use while driving.
2. Share this policy with your workers, and underscore your commitment to safety. Share true recent stories and statistics about cell phone driving safety. 
3. Invest in technology like iZup, which blocks cell phone signals in the cab. Note that most of these devices may not be a good fit for your company if you use telematics to improve safety and efficiency. 
4. For phones paid for by the company, track cell phone use against times drivers are known to be in the vehicle.
5. Call the driver while they are on the road to see if they pick up. 
6. Create incentives to encourage safe driving, such as department-wide bonuses for an incident-free period

Article from: The Atlantic