April is Distracted Driving Awareness month which is a nationwide effort to help drivers recognize the
dangers of distracted driving and eliminate the preventable deaths that it can cause. Cell phones,
dashboard touchscreens, voice commands and other in-vehicle technologies pose a threat to our
safety. If you receive an urgent cell phone call/text, or a two-way radio call while driving, pull off the
road to a safe area and park your vehicle before you respond. The consequences of these many
distractions are not worth the convenience they offer.
Please see the FREAS SharePoint page under Safety for more information on this topic.
- Every day at least 9 people die and over 100 are injured in distracted driving crashes.
- Vehicle crashes are the #1 cause of workplace deaths, with distraction as the leading factor.
- The National Safety Council reports that drivers feel pressured into using the technology.
- Being distracted behind the wheel should never be considered a business necessity.
- Schedule calls for times when you will not be driving.
- Avoid calling anyone that you know is driving.
- Plan your workday ahead of time so you won’t need to use a mobile device for calls/texts.
- If you are in a vehicle with a driver who is using a mobile device, speak up for your safety.
- Distracted driving is an epidemic. Be part of the solution. Just Drive.
- For more information check out nsc.org/justdrive
PLEDGE TO BE AN ATTENTIVE DRIVER
Play an active role in keeping our roads safe by making a commitment to yourself and your
coworkers that you will eliminate distractions while driving. Keep your eyes on the road, your
hands on the wheel and your mind on the drive.
Before you start driving:
- Program our GPS
- Finish reading/sending texts and emails
- Silence your phone and put it in the glove compartment, trunk or your bag
While you are driving:
- Do not use voice commands with your phone or dashboard touchscreen
- On longer drives, schedule breaks to park safely and respond to messages
- Social media can wait – no update, tweet or video is worth a life
- Pull over and safely park to take a call or respond to messages
- Do not call or text someone if you know they are driving