Development accidents value the business roughly $11.5 billion per yr, in accordance with the Nationwide Institutes of Well being. One sort of concern and collision the business should take into account is automotive crashes.
These collisions may cause hurt to these engaged on highway development initiatives—and so they may also trigger critical risks for these driving to and from websites. April is Distracted Driving Consciousness Month, so it’s an ideal time to reexamine the dangers related to driving distracted whereas working.
The Dangers of Distracted Driving at Work
The NSC (Nationwide Security Council) suggests you might be 4 occasions as more likely to crash when utilizing a cellphone whereas driving, and employers are responsible for $25 million for worker crashes, even when utilizing hands-free units. That may be a important quantity of threat and a big quantity of duty.
One other report reveals 70% of companies expertise the influence of distracted driving incidents, with 68% citing cell phone use because the main trigger, in accordance with Teletrac Navman, and 49% report distracted driving has a direct monetary value on enterprise. Whereas the start of cellphones utilization in automobiles has risen considerably since its introduction—of the preliminary cellphone from inventor Martin Cooper—it’s clear the function of cellphones in automobiles, fleets, and wherever else for that matter is having an influence on enterprise productiveness and total security.
Employers are chargeable for ensuring staff comply with all legal guidelines—and for making certain the protection of all staff. And meaning minimizing distracted driving or strolling on the job usually begins on the high.
The Case for Protected Driving
Let’s take into account an instance. Owens Corning is an organization with greater than 15,000 staff in 27 firms that present materials innovation for roofing, insulation, composites, and doorways. Matt Schroder, inside communications and company media relations chief, says the corporate’s efficiency in security had reached a degree the place accidents had considerably decreased, so it might proceed to focus its efforts on eliminating threat earlier than an harm occurred.
Right here the group reviewed the Nationwide Security Council knowledge and different public sources of knowledge to find out methods to create a coverage and a tradition of security round cellphone use. The coverage turned no cellphone use—handheld or hands-free—and it covers all drivers and applies to any scenario the place an worker is conducting any enterprise.
The CEO adhered to it for 90 days earlier than it turned firm coverage and the group:
- Used the NSC Cell Telephone Coverage Package and movies as a base for the plan
- Decided key stakeholders throughout the group
- Recognized potential points with the coverage
- Tried to handle any points prematurely
- Recruited champions from a gaggle of stakeholders
- Created the marketing campaign
- Laid out the plan in a world city corridor
- Carried out it over a 60-day interval
Whereas that is one instance, many firms now have cellphone insurance policies in place that establish methods to work together with units in automobiles and fleets. Coaching and growing a tradition of security are solely two items of this pie although.
The Case for AI
In lots of instances, know-how is a foe within the automobiles—however can it even be a good friend? Can know-how assist stop using units in automobiles? It is a query I’ve been asking right here at Linked World, Constructech, and The Peggy Smedley Present for years.
Let’s take a look at among the latest knowledge. Teletrac Navman launched the outcomes of its AI & Driver Security Survey, which is part of its 2025 Distracted Driving and Driver Security Report. It discovered 83% of fleets say AI is the way forward for security. How?
Respondents say AI shall be used to:
- Monitor driver habits (32%)
- Predict and stop potential accidents (17%)
- Scale back distracted driving incidents (16%)
- Enhance automobile upkeep (14%)
- Improve teaching and coaching by means of knowledge (13%)
Nonetheless, there are lots of potential roadblocks to utilizing AI on this space. Roughly 23% are involved about knowledge privateness and 14% are frightened about driver resistance.
What are your ideas? How can we resolve the distracted driving epidemic in enterprise? Does it begin with a tradition of security? We now have been making that case for many years and nonetheless too many lives are misplaced by individuals who suppose they’ll multitask on the expense of one other’s life misplaced at a jobsite or when somebody is driving will get distracted. Can coaching and know-how assist to curb distracted driving and unsafe habits whereas behind the wheel?
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