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Distracted Driving and Cell Phone Safety

Distracted Driving and Cell Phone Safety. Safety Counselling, Inc. ▪ 3207 Matthew Ave. NE ▪ Albuquerque, NM 87107 ▪ www.safetycounselling.com 505-881-1112 / 800-640-0724. Safety Counselling, Inc. Providing creative, pragmatic solutions to business safety since 1973. Course Outline.

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Distracted Driving and Cell Phone Safety

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  1. Distracted Drivingand Cell PhoneSafety Safety Counselling, Inc. ▪ 3207 Matthew Ave. NE ▪ Albuquerque, NM 87107 ▪ www.safetycounselling.com 505-881-1112 / 800-640-0724 Safety Counselling, Inc. Providing creative, pragmatic solutions to business safety since 1973

  2. Course Outline • What is Distracted Driving? • Brief History of the Cellular Telephone • Cell Phones: Benefits • Hazards of Distracted Driving • Hazards of Cell Phones: Fact or Fiction? • What’s an employer to do? • Tips for Cell Phone Use

  3. Cell phones Text messaging Laptop computers Internet access IPods GPS Reaching/leaning Conversing with passengers Congested roadways On-board engine diagnostic Billboards Pets Eating/drinking Grooming Pedestrians DVD player Reading distractions Construction Traffic Other motorists Other motorists using cell phones Weather conditions Schedules Sun glare Customer issues Family issues Distractions Include:

  4. Distracted Driving Facts: Activities Drivers Engage in While Driving: 96% Talking to passengers 89% Adjusting vehicle climate / sound system controls 74% Eating meal / snack 73% Using a cell phone 51% Texting 41% Tending to children 34% Reading a map / publication 19% Grooming 11% Preparing for work

  5. Distracted Driving Fact: We make approximately 200 decisions for every mile of driving.

  6. Distracted Driving Facts Accident Contributing Factors 60 23 19 7 6

  7. Cellular Telephones • With “not enough hours in the day,” cell phones are a convenience that allows us to save time in our hectic everyday lives • Cellular phones are owned by more than 285.6 million Americans as of December 2009. That is 91% of the U.S. population.

  8. Distracted Driving Facts Cell Phone Users On average, it takes a cell phone user • 13 seconds to initiate a call. • 8 seconds to answer a ringing cell phone. • 5-6 seconds to adjust the entertainment system. Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), American Automobile Association (AAA), University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center

  9. Cell Phone Statistics • U.S. population is 305 million • 250 million U.S. cell phone subscribers • Wireless users who talk while driving: 73% (estimated) • At any given daytime moment, 10% of U.S. drivers are using cell phones • Hands-free cell phones are no less dangerous to use while driving than hand-held. No significant change in statistics. • Young drivers’ reaction time became as slow as senior citizens’ • Drivers talking on cell phones were as impaired as drivers with a 0.08% blood alcohol level. Source: University of Utah

  10. Cell Phone History • Basically a Radio Telephone • Frequencies or channels • Many smaller cells which share the same frequency • Bell Labs 1947 – 1967 • Idea and mechanism for automatically switching over when a phone went from one cell to another • Martin Cooper (Motorola) 1973 • Built a small radio telephone which could be carried by one person

  11. Benefits of Cell Phones • What are some of the benefits of having a cell phone? Communication Peace of Mind Time Management Increased Production Emergency Response

  12. Hazards of Cell Phone Use • Let’s take a little time to talk about some of the concerns of cell phone use and separate: FACT from FICTION

  13. Distracted Driving Statistics • Distracted driving by drivers results in approximately 5,549 deaths, 448,000 injuries in America per year – according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2009. • Of those injured 24,000 were using cell phones.

  14. Cell Phone’s and Driving • The key factor in vehicle crash data and the use of cell phones is: Driver Distraction

  15. Hand-Held vs. Hands-Free • The old saying is: • It’s true when it comes to driving while using cell phones!

  16. Decreased following distance Slow reaction time Slower to regain speed after braking Males and females experienced the same reaction time Decreased time looking at the road Longer braking times Failure to maintain speed Not staying in lane Failing to notice traffic control devices Poor space judgment causing missed turns Last-minute notice of entrance and exit ramps All studies found the same common denominator withCell Phone Use While Driving

  17. Do Cell Phones Really Help Emergency Medical Personnel (Fire, EMS, Rescue, Police) Get to an Emergency Faster?

  18. Is Cell Phone Use Linked to Cancer? • Cell Phone Suit Will Get its Day in Court • In a ruling that could shake the cell phone industry, a federal judge let stand a lawsuit that says companies are making and selling cell phones with the knowledge that they may be dangerous • IDG News Service, 1/19/01 • Cell Phone Patents Raise Questions • Health risks once again at issue in light of technology patent review • Network World, 6/15/01 • Cell Phone Safety • Convinced that using the company-issued cell phones on the job caused his brain tumor, Mark Hart filed a workers’ compensation claim • Brain Cancer is on the Rise • The incidence of brain cancer has increased 25% since 1973, according to the National Cancer Institute • Each year, 185,000 Americans will be diagnosed with a primary or metastasis brain tumor • National Brain Tumor Foundation • Study Links Mobile Phone Use with Eye Cancer • A German study purports to find a statistically significant link between a rare form of eye cancer and mobile telephone use • Net Worker, 1/16/01

  19. What’s an Employer to Do?Is Your Company at Risk . . .?

  20. Liability is Everywhere • Can your business be held legally liable?

  21. Company Policy and Rules • PROHIBIT using a phone while driving • PROHIBIT using a company cell phone for personal calls or using a personal cell while on company time • When operating personal vehicle for business: • Require Personal Auto Liability Insurance • Be specific on auto liability limits • State that your company is not responsible for collision and/or comprehensive coverage

  22. TIPSFor Cell Phone Use

  23. Tips on Using Cell Phones • PULL OVER TO USE THE CELL PHONE • However, if you MUST talk and drive: • Be familiar with the phone • Use a hands-free device • Position your phone within easy reach • Let the person you’re speaking with know you are driving • Don’t take notes or look up phone numbers while driving • Dial sensibly • Do not engage in stressful or emotional conversations that may divert attention from the road • Dial 911 or other local emergency numbers to report serious emergencies

  24. Driving Facts • In 2 seconds, at 30 miles per hour, a car travels 88 feet, or about 6 car lengths. • In 2 seconds, at 65 miles per hour, a car travels 190 feet, or about 13 car lengths. Two-thirds the length of a football field. Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Networks of Employers for traffic safety, University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, National Conference of State Legislators, Tennessee Association of Police Chiefs.

  25. What Do You Think? • Do you believe that using a cell phone while driving increases the chances of an accident? - 91% of Americans believe that using cell phones while driving increase the chances of an accident. • The National Safety Council revealed 50% of companies had either handheld or full cell phone bans in 2009.

  26. Preventing Distracted Driving • Increase driving skills among drivers • Create public awareness of the dangers • Pay attention to driving behaviors and causes of distraction • Think about possible future distractions and to handle them or decrease their number • New laws

  27. Taking Control 1 Step recognizing that most driving distractions are caused by our own actions. Step adopt a company-wide distracted driving policy Step avoid these actions while driving Step Choose to ignore distractions outside our control until it’s safe to pull over and deal with the distraction 2 3 4

  28. Conclusion • Cell phones can be a benefit if used correctly • Health hazards related to RF and cancer are unconfirmed, but keep in mind that research is still on-going • USE COMMON SENSE! • Pull over if you need to make a phone call • When driving, make the road your priority – not the phone conversation Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), American Automobile Association (AAA), University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center; University of Utah; Federated Insurance Companies

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