According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about nine people die each day because of distracted driving. Another 1,000 injuries occur per day in accidents that reportedly involve a distracted driver.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) estimates that a single-vehicle crash can cost employers about $16,500 and if the accident results in injuries, that amount is more than $74,000. If there is a fatality, losses can be 100’s of thousands of dollars.
These eye-popping stats illuminate the importance of implementing a top-notch driver distraction program in work truck fleets large and small. And, as mobile technology continues to proliferate, driver distractions grow as well.
Let’s break down the numbers further:
• Distracted driving claimed 3,450 lives in 2016, and 391,000 individuals were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2015, according to NHTSA.
• 10% of fatal crashes, 15% of injury crashes, and 14% of all police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2015 were reported as distraction-affected crashes, NHTSA reported.
• Distracted driving crashes are under-reported, and the National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that cell phone use alone accounts for 27% of vehicular crashes.
A 2016 NSC survey of more than 3,400 adult drivers across the U.S. revealed that drivers engaged in distracting driving. The NSC found that:
• 19% made or answered phone calls with handheld devices.
• 51% made or answered calls hands-free with headsets, speakerphones, and in-vehicle systems.
• 32% reviewed or sent text messages.
• 23% reviewed or sent an e-mail.
• 23% glanced at, read, or posted social media messages.
• 21% surfed the internet.
• 19% looked at, took, or posted photos or videos.
• 14% watched TV or a movie on the phone.
• 14% participated in a video chat.
These behaviors can result in varying degrees of accidents. It might be a simple rear end at low speed, drifting out of your lane, or much worse. The distracted driving solution is DriveScreen. DriveScreen takes away the distraction of your mobile device. DriveScreen works on laptops, tablets, and phones. If your device has a GPS or motion sensor DriveScreen doesn’t need any external hardware.
DriveScreen ensures that your driver only uses his device while stopped ensuring that your company, your employees, and your community stay safe.