As a fleet manager, you might be already well aware of the dangers of distracted driving or have experienced first hand distracted driving accidents. But despite we all know (or should know) distracted driving is something we all need to avoid, statistics still show an increase in this dangerous behaviour: according to WHO, the proportion of drivers using mobile phones while driving has increased over the past 5–10 years, ranging from 1% to up to 11%.
Distracted driving is basically any activity carried out while you are (or should be?) focused behind the wheel, which is taking the eyes of the driver off the road and is compromising not only his/her safety, but also the one of passengers, pedestrians and other road users. One of the most popular forms of distracted driving today is the use of smartphones behind the wheel, which, according to the US Department of Transportation, is likely to create a crash risk 23 times higher than driving while not distracted. Mobile phone use is thus one of the factors that increase the chance of injury or fatality on the road. Particularly, there are some causes that might lead to the use of mobile phones behind the wheel among drivers such as pressure of being productive while driving, traffic, desire to "stay connected" and frustration on the road.
Distracted driving technology and driver training can today contribute to stop distracted driving and looking at the possible consequences should also act as a disincentive for drivers (professionals or not). So let's have a look at 6 distracted driving consequences that can eventually have an impact on your company, your drivers and your community.
1 - Being involved in a collision. You might be the most seasoned driver, but if you get distracted you can always end up in a collision. How many accidents are caused by distracted driving? According to the NHTSA distracted driving statistics, 8.7% of the whole 2019 fatalities involved distracted drivers. In the US in 2018, over 2,800 people were killed and an estimated 400,000 were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver. So if you get distracted, you are more likely to be involved in a collision, to be injured or killed.
2 - Lost productivity. Not being focused on their tasks can have other consequences such as driver performance. And while distracted driving might not lead to serious injuries or collisions, it would still have an impact on your activity as drivers would need to take time off or you might need to replace a vehicle, causing downtime and lost productivity.
3 - Criminal penalties. Even if not leading to injuries or fatalities, being caught distracted behind the wheel as using your mobile phone can lead to sanctions and fines and to incur penalty points on a driver's licence, with potential consequences on criminal records and on the ability to work for drivers.
4 - Higher insurance premiums. According to NHTSA, in addition to the tragedy of distracted driving fatalities, the increase in accidents equates to higher insurance costs. The higher the accident rate, the more claims insurers have to pay. Insurers in turn transfer these costs to customers in the form of higher premiums, often based on information about traffic violations and accidents from driving records. In the US, auto insurance premiums have increased 16% since 2011, correlating with the increase in distracted driving accidents.
5 - Lost driving privileges. If drivers accumulate too many penalty points, their licence can get suspended or revoked, with consequences both for you and them, as they won't have able to work and you would have to hire somebody else and spend time and resources to do it.
6 - Damaged reputation. Being in the news because one of your drivers was involved in a collision due to distracted driving is something that should never happen, not only because of the issues connected to the incident itself, but because of your image. Potential customers might be less likely to work with you, resulting in fewer opportunities for growth.
It is definitely not worth getting distracted while driving. But how to stop distracted driving? Today, driver safety technology such as Transpoco Protect can be of help in eliminating distractions. A recent study carried out by AXA insurance group found that just 1.5 seconds of warning can prevent 90% of collisions. It is proven that a 2-second warning can significantly reduce the probability of forward-collisions almost entirely; allowing for more confidence on the road and the avoidance of serious incidents. If you want to see how our collision management system works, get in touch.
