Driving Distractions
Interesting article here citing some statistics on the effects of driver distractions. According to the article:
"Distracted driving behaviors are responsible for 20 to 30 percent of the nearly three million crashes that occur in the country, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration."
According to the Department of Labor:
"Almost one third of occupational (on the job) fatalities are from motor vehicle related crashes...Motor Vehicle crashes have quite an impact in terms of economic impact for the employers."
And:
"An average, on the job motor vehicle crashes costs an employer $16,500, according to AAA Travel."
So, while you are updating your cell phone policies to discourage your employees from driving and talking on their cellphones, you should consider expanding it to deal with other distractions such as fiddling with the radio and eating. Let's not forget the times we've all sat in traffic and seen women applying makeup (can't say I ever understood applying mascara in a moving car....), reading the newspaper, and the list goes on.