ADTS: In The News

The Mobile Communications Threat: Drivers in Danger

by Phil Moser
Risk Management Magazine
May 2001

Not so many years ago, the mobile phone was just a yuppie status symbol. Today, school children, parents and grandparents alike are ubiquitously accessible through this technology, and so are your employees.

Overall, the mobile phone, along with other on-the-go communication mechanisms--personal digital assistants, navigational systems and onboard computers--have made business more efficient. But when your employees get behind the wheel, these mobile marvels can become deadly distractions.

On the Road
As many as 25 percent of all vehicle crashes are now believed to be caused by driver distraction, according to a study conducted last year by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In one out of every four fleet vehicle accidents, driver distraction may be the culprit at your organization.

In the NHTSA study, distraction covers a wide range of elements. At one end is a host of issues with the potential to divert any driver's concentration away from the road--including eating, daydreaming, talking to passengers, changing radio stations and adjusting climate controls. Now added to these distractions are a host of technological gadgets that allow fleet drivers to keep in touch with customers, suppliers and co-workers, and to organize and track daily activities.

Mobile Phones. One of the most hotly debated driver distractions of the last decade is the mobile phone. Regulation of mobile phone use while driving has been the subject of more than one hundred bills in thirty-seven U.S. states, none of which have passed. Internationally, at least thirteen countries (including Switzerland, Israel, Great Britain and Taiwan) have enacted legislation banning or restricting mobile phone use while driving.

While the debate is often emotional--especially when triggered by a fatal accident--the evidence of risk is grounded firmly in fact. A Toronto study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1997 concluded that the risk of an accident while talking on a mobile phone may be the same as driving at a blood alcohol level of .08 percent (the legal limit in most U.S. states). Another study, published in Accident Analysis and Prevention in 1994 found a 34 percent increase in the risk of a collision among drivers who use mobile phones while driving.

Proponents of mobile phones often argue that hands-free models minimize or even negate any possible distraction for drivers. But the mechanical operation of the phone is not the only factor that can divert a driver's attention from the road. A driver who uses a mobile phone while traveling is likely to focus his or her mental attention on the conversation rather than the road--particularly if the subject matter is of a serious or confrontational nature. In fact, a wireless communications study found that the conversation itself is the most prevalent single behavior associated with mobile phone-related crashes. A lengthy conversation can easily take a driver's attention away from the road for dangerous amounts of time. This is especially true on long trips, when drivers talk longer to pass the time.

Even the ringing of the phone can cause enough of a distraction to pose a safety risk. One study in Japan found that many mobile phone-related crashes occurred while the driver was responding to an incoming call.

Determining the exact effect mobile phone usage has had on accident rates, however, is difficult. Many factors can influence the number of accidents--including the increase in the number of vehicles on the road. Until very recently, most states did not have a mechanism in place for police officers to document the use of mobile phones as a contributing factor in an accident, and drivers are not likely to admit they were on the phone at the time of an accident.

Some jurisdictions have begun to alter their accident reports to account for mobile phones and other technology distractions. It is expected to take some time, though, before an analysis of such information is available.

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). Employees who spend much of their day on the road often depend on Palm Pilots or other PDAs to track their schedules and appointments, log customer information and perform countless other daily functions.

Fleet drivers typically keep their PDAs close at hand while traveling--often in the center console of the vehicle, on the front passenger seat or in a shirt or jacket pocket. In any of those locations, the PDA is close enough to tempt the driver to use it while operating the vehicle. Like a mobile phone, a PDA does more than just distract the driver physically; it also takes the driver's mind off of the road, which should be his or her sole focus while driving.

Navigational Systems. An increasing number of vehicles are now arriving equipped with on-board navigational systems that direct the driver to a destination with pinpoint accuracy. One of the most popular systems is General Motors' OnStar, which is offered as a standard or optional feature in about thirty models. For a monthly fee, drivers who have the OnStar option can access a twenty-four-hour call center for help with directions, concierge services or emergency assistance. As fleet drivers trade up to newer vehicles over the next several years, it is likely that many will begin to use systems like these to navigate their territories--particularly if they are new hires or drivers recently assigned to new areas.

For most people, the use of a navigational system is preferable to wading through paper maps, especially since the latter is often done while driving or pulled over to the shoulder--another dangerous position. Yet, these systems require drivers to take their hands from the wheel and eyes from the road. For this reason, General Motors is working on ways to minimize the distraction level posed by navigational systems, including the development of voice-activated technologies. But while efforts like these may help to reduce the mechanical distractions, they do not address the fact that a driver may focus his or her mental energies on the use of the navigational system instead of the road.

In-Vehicle Internet Access. Hardware, software and wireless service providers are currently working to make in-vehicle Internet access a mainstream technology. Ford is planning to introduce Internet features through mobile phones in some of its Lincoln models, while a division of the company is working on an in-car computing platform based on Microsoft's Windows CE. Clarion sells an aftermarket system called AutoPC, which includes a navigation system, computer, wireless phone and stereo. Two industry giants--IBM and Motorola--have announced plans to develop on-board systems for navigation and communication. While the ability to access the Web through a vehicle is still reserved for a small number of high-end models, it is only a matter of time before the technology advances enough to make it affordable on midscale vehicles as well.

Proponents of in-vehicle information systems tout the ability to keep in constant contact with the world through these systems, even while driving. They cite the convenience of checking on the status of your stock portfolio, accessing business news, sending and retrieving e-mail messages and performing many other routine functions. But these advantages--the necessity of which is debatable--only add to the distraction factor.

Combating the Distraction Factor U.S. federal regulators and consumer advocate groups are concerned that these systems present distractions that can increase the likelihood of an accident. With technology advancing rapidly, regulators have begun to discuss how these technologies might impact driver distraction and, in turn, accident rates. Similarly, NHTSA has concentrated significant resources to build a driver simulation system that will be used, for the most part, to study the topic of driver distraction resulting from the use of in-vehicle technologies.

On the organizational level, it is unrealistic to expect fleet drivers to give up their high-tech tools, regardless of the research findings and anecdotal evidence that point to an increased safety risk. It is realistic, however, to expect fleet drivers to adapt their behavior in an effort to reduce the distractions they face behind the wheel. Risk managers can take several steps to directly address the many high-tech driver distractions.

Require Driver Safety Certification. Many organizations require new hires to pass a driver safety certification before they can operate a company vehicle. The certification is an ideal way to ensure that drivers understand important safety concepts--including driving distraction--up front.
To cost-effectively implement the certification, consider developing a tutorial and test that focus on the most common driver safety issues. Teach drivers about the safety risks posed by the high-tech tools they will be using on the job and offer them safe alternatives.
Develop Corporate Policies that Minimize Driver Distraction. You cannot expect fleet drivers to throw away their mobile phones and Palm Pilots. But you should develop policies that help drivers minimize the distractions these technologies create on the road.
To develop a policy on mobile phones and other distractions, gather the ideas, experiences and perspectives from a wide-range of departments, including representatives from fleet management, risk management, human resources, legal and the groups that will be affected by the policy, such as sales or service. Doing so will ensure that you end up with a policy that is both legal and practical. The specifics of your policy will depend on your organizational culture and its risk tolerance. Some organizations only allow mobile phone use while the vehicle is safely parked. Others routinely check phone records to ensure drivers are not talking excessively while driving, and require drivers to route incoming calls to voice mail while driving. A number of organizations have policies stating that drivers may only use a mobile phone in the event of an emergency.
Keep two key points in mind. First, outline specific situations: What is an emergency? What is excessive talking? Second, advise drivers to place even emergency calls from a mobile phone only when stopped in a parking lot, rest area or other safe location--never while driving or when pulled over to the shoulder.
Also, a policy works only if it is known. Once it is developed, provide a written copy to all new hires as part of the orientation process--at a minimum. Keep it current and reinforce it with periodic reminders to all fleet drivers, through company newsletters, e-mail messages, a corporate intranet, CD-ROM-based training programs, videotapes or seminars held in conjunction with regional or national meetings.
Provide Ongoing Training. While a policy is a great starting point for educating fleet drivers about distraction, it is just the beginning. To keep drivers aware of the dangers of distraction, provide ongoing training and reinforcement on the subject. A particularly effective approach is requiring fleet drivers to take a yearly driver safety course that incorporates not only basic driver safety information, but also a discussion of the specific distractions drivers may face on the road and the risks those distractions pose to their safety.
Drivers will be more likely to alter their driving behaviors to avoid these distractions if they feel there is a compelling reason to do so. Include a discussion of the increased odds of an accident, the potential liability for the company and the possibility of personal injury or even fatalities that can result from driving distractions. It is equally important to provide drivers with safe and practical alternatives for the use of the technologies they depend on when they are away from the office.
Based on data from Advanced Driver Training, headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, companies can expect to see, on average, accident rate reductions of 30 percent to 50 percent or more in the initial years of a driver safety training program. If an organization has three thousand fleet drivers and an accident rate of 25 percent, the cost of fleet accidents can run as high as $10.5 million annually (based on industry statistics that demonstrate an average cost per accident of $14,000). If that same organization can reduce its accident rate to 21 percent, it can reduce its fleet accident costs to about $8.8 million--saving an estimated $1.7 million annually. And that is just a 16 percent reduction--far less than many companies actually achieve.
One Fortune 500 corporation, for example, instituted a driver safety training program within a single division, providing a combination classroom and behind-the-wheel program for hundreds of fleet drivers. After just the first year, the vehicle accident rate for drivers who completed the training was almost 50 percent lower than the rate for drivers who had not yet taken the course. (The organization is now planning to expand the program to fleet drivers in its other divisions.)
Bring Managers on Board. Managers typically set the tone for their employees in many facets of the job--including fleet safety. If managers are complacent about workplace safety or ignore the organization’ s driver safety-related policies, their employees are likely to do the same.
To ensure that the managers who supervise fleet drivers are on board with your policies and programs, require them to take a training course specifically aimed at managers' issues. The program should teach them how to set a positive tone toward driver safety, how to lead a safety training seminar and how to conduct a ride-along to evaluate a fleet driver's skills on the road. Managers should be offered the opportunity to improve their own driving skills while learning how to set the right tone for driver safety with their employees.

Potholes
Consider that the average cost of one fleet vehicle accident mounts to $14,000, including direct and indirect costs. Multiply that by 315 for the typical midsized fleet and the result--$4,410,000--makes the importance of addressing the issue of vehicle accidents clear. One quarter of that amount--$1,102,500--could be controlled by addressing driver distraction. This is ample impetus to start the process. Realizing that this figure does not even take into account negligent entrustment lawsuits and settlements resulting from a catastrophic accident--and the cold shoulders you may well receive looking for insurance policy renewals--should put this issue at high priority.

How many millions of dollars are lost to your vehicle accidents? How much more could you be liable for? How much could you be saving if you were addressing driver distraction? These are the questions you must be prepared to answer. Can you back up your numbers?