5 Tips for
a Safer Fleet
REDUCE DISTRACTED DRIVING
TRUCKING & DISTRIBUTION
Many of us are guilty of having engaged
in distracted driving at some point in our
lives—maybe we’ve taken a peek at a
new text message, or eaten lunch while
driving during a hectic day.
While these common activities may
seem insignificant, they can have
serious consequences.
In this eBook, we’ll cover the prevalence
of distracted driving—along with
actionable steps you can take to help to
protect your workers and your fleet.
Introduction
Lytx MV+AI technology is designed to respect driver privacy because it does
not collect biometric identifiers or biometric information (i.e., scans of facial
geometry). See https://www.lytx.com/driver-information.
Table of contents
The facts about distracted driving and who is at risk
Distracted driving and your industry
What can you do to change driver behavior?
How dash cams help to mitigate distracted driving
Tips for selecting a technology solutions
Lytx MV+AI technology is designed to respect driver privacy because it does
not collect biometric identifiers or biometric information (i.e., scans of facial
geometry). See https://www.lytx.com/driver-information.
Does distracted driving even happen that often?
The answer is yes, and there’s a high human cost
associated with it.
In the United States, more than 3,000 people die in
crashes involving a distracted driver every year1.
That’s an average of 8 people every day.
See how cell phone use and other distracted driving
behaviors put drivers, passengers and bystanders
at risk.
Distracted driving can be prevented.
CHAPTER 1:
The facts about
distracted driving
and who is at risk
But what’s a few seconds,
really?
It’s more time for trouble than most people realize!
Number of drivers using
an electronic device at any
given moment2
Number of estimated injuries
due to distracted driving3
Drivers using cell phones are
four times more likely to get
into a crash that results in
serious injuries.4
660,000
400,000
4X
That’s like driving the length of
a football field blindfolded!6
With a
5 SECONDS =
the average time
your eyes are off the
road while texting
55
SPEED
LIMIT
1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 4 0 3 0 2 0 1 0
1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 4 0 3 0 2 0 1 0
Distracted driving is more than just cell phone
use. It’s anything that takes attention away
from the road.
There are three categories of distracted driving:
VISUAL
•
Looking at a phone
•
Reading
•
Grooming
•
Using a laptop
PHYSICAL
•
Texting or dialing
•
Eating
•
Adjusting the radio
•
Reaching for objects
COGNITIVE
•
Talking on the phone
•
Day-dreaming
•
Talking to a passenger
Who does distracted
driving hurt?
DRIVERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
Injury, loss of life, or loss of income affect not just
your employees, but their families too
CUSTOMERS
Missed appointments can cause problems for
customers who are depending on your drivers
THE GENERAL PUBLIC
Unsafe driving puts everyone on the road at risk
YOUR COMPANY
Damage to reputation or costly litigation can ruin
the business you’ve worked to build
Did you know that almost
16% of drivers 18-24
years of age admit to
texting while driving?
And of that age group, almost 30%
believe they multitask (e.g., text and
drive) pretty well. See the stats here.
Think your drivers are immune to distracted
driving? Think again.
TRUCKING
Trucking fleets that work with drivers to raise awareness
of the impact of distracted driving protect and retain their
valuable employees. Safer driving means reduced
collision costs and improved CSA scores.
DISTRIBUTION
Safety programs that target risky driving behaviors help
distribution companies maintain a strong safety record,
over-deliver for their customers and protect their drivers.
TRANSIT
A clear, enforceable program of education around
distracted driving prevention can help demonstrate
compliance, safeguard reputations and reduce
passenger liabilities.
WASTE
Waste collection is one of the most dangerous jobs in the
world. When drivers are engaged in a focused company
policy around cell phone and hand-held device use, waste
companies can increase operational efficiency, maintain
compliance and ensure drivers get home safely every day.
Prevention and awareness can
benefit your drivers and your fleet
CHAPTER 2:
Distracted driving and
your industry
What does distracted
driving mean for your
fleet?
Collisions
Angry customers
Damage to reputation
Litigation
Financial costs due to settlements and
lost customers
on work-related accidents5
•
Property damage $24,500 per single-vehicle incident6
•
Injury average cost $150,0006
•
Fatality can cost up to $3.6 million7
Number of lost workdays due to accidents8
Employers spend
$60 billion annually
1.6 million a year
10
Learn how Doughnut Peddler
achieved a 50% reduction in
cell phone use and a 54%
reduction in overall risk while
lowering insurance costs.
“Our drivers have a big job, and it’s a tough job. We want to
do everything we can to get them home safe every night.”
William Cooper, National Director, Project Management & Compliance
Doughnut Peddler
Consider these
four steps
EDUCATION
EMOTIONAL APPEAL
POLICY ENFORCEMENT
LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY
CHAPTER 3:
What can you do
to change driver
behavior?
11
Education
Educating your employees about the
dangers of distracted driving needs to
be an ongoing effort reinforced during
meetings and trainings throughout the
year, not just a short-term push.
Things you can do:
Talk to your drivers about what constitutes an
avoidable collision.
•
This includes behaviors like cell phone use,
listening to loud music, not being aware of
another risky driver, or not driving carefully
in bad weather
Provide driver training.
•
Show drivers how to become aware of common
risky behaviors and how they can then effectively
change them
Coach your drivers in a positive manner.
•
Stress that safety is the top priority
•
Coaching should be proactive, not punitive
12
Use yourself as an example.
•
Confess your own bad driving habits and what
you are doing to change them
Use statistics to provide credibility to your
training. Here are some examples:
•
Texting increases the risk of a crash by
23 times10
•
The brain cannot multi-task! When talking and
driving it switches between the conversation
and driving, which slows reaction time9
•
Drivers talking on cell phones can miss up to
50% of their driving environments, including
pedestrians and red lights9
Lytx MV+AI technology is designed to respect driver privacy because it does
not collect biometric identifiers or biometric information (i.e., scans of facial
geometry). See https://www.lytx.com/driver-information.
13
Emotional appeal
When one manager surveyed drivers to
find out who called and texted them the
most during work hours, they reported that
more than 50% of calls and texts received
were from family members! This means
that the people with the biggest stake in the
safety of the driver were the ones
unintentionally putting them at risk.
Cell phones make us feel connected to
those we love. But using a cell phone while
driving is increasingly a factor in
endangering our safety. Read more about
the role of cell phones in distracted driving.
Things you can do:
Engage the family.
•
Include letters to families in your safety campaigns, encouraging
them to ask the driver, “Is it safe to talk?” when they call.
•
Buy cell phone bags for technicians and have their family member
sign it. A visual reminder of a loved one who would be affected if
the employee got in an accident may keep them from picking up
their phone.
Share real stories from your community.
•
An internet search will, unfortunately, reveal plenty of real-life
examples of those affected by distracted driving. Sharing a
relatable story from your industry or hometown will leave an
impactful impression.
14
You can’t expect your drivers to follow your rules if you don’t
have any. Define and repeatedly communicate your driving
policy, and include behaviors like cell phone use, wearing a
seatbelt, eating or drinking in the vehicle, and any other
requirements you believe will protect your workers and
your business.
Not only is a good policy essential for driver training, but it
will help your defense should your company ever be sued
after a collision.
Have a clear policy and enforce it
15
Post visible reminders of the risks
of distracted driving and your
company's preventative policy.
Check out these Distracted Driving
Statistics and Tips.
PURPOSE, BACKGROUND,
AND APPLICABILITY
Why is there a policy, who does it apply to
and when?
DEFINE THE POLICY
What is the policy trying to do? For example, “this policy is
intended to define certain prohibited activities that could
cause drivers to become distracted and to prescribe
practices that help employees safely operate company
equipment.”
SPECIFIC PROHIBITIONS
What activities are specifically prohibited? Consider things
like texting, cell phone use, eating, and not wearing a
seatbelt. Include those that are most applicable to your
business and technicians.
SUGGESTED PRACTICES
Offer solutions such as pulling off the road before using a
cell phone or taking a 15-minute break
to eat.
CONSEQUENCES FOR
VIOLATING POLICY
What action will be taken if a driver is found to be violating
this policy?
Things to consider when developing policies
16
Leverage technology
Technology can be used to help mitigate
distracted driving. Here are three options:
DO NOT DISTURB
Do Not Disturb (DND) is a
common feature on most
smartphones and easy to
enable. A user can select
specific times for DND to be
in effect and set “favorite”
phone numbers to still ring
through in case of an
emergency.
CELL BLOCKING
TECHNOLOGY
Cell blocking technology is
usually accessed through an
app and will block calls and
texts from coming through
while the car is in motion. The
phone can still be used for 911
calls or by passengers. Check
with your company on whether
there are policies governing this
type of technology.
DASH CAMS
You may have well-defined driver policies and
communicate them clearly and often, but policies
themselves won’t always change behavior. Some
dash cams can monitor both the road and inside
the cab, giving you the power to trust your driver
but to verify their actions as well. Intelligent dash
cams can detect risky driving behaviors and send
real-time alerts to help empower drivers
to change their behavior. If it’s of interest, these
dash cams can send reports back to you, which
can later be used for employee coaching
and training.
17
This company did all the right things with
its policy and training, but the driver used
his phone anyway. By looking just at the
telematics data, the risky event could have
been flagged as a hard braking event and a
swerve to avoid another driver, and there’s
no way to be sure why it happened.
However, with dash cam footage, you can
actually see evidence that the driver was
distracted by his cell phone. This could be
one of YOUR drivers!
Trust but verify
Dash cams offer a detailed view of distracted driving incidents.
18
Changing driver behavior
•
Have open, two-way dialogue with
your drivers
•
Incentivize drivers to comply with safety
goals or initiatives
•
Build awareness around risky driving
behaviors and communicate it fleet-wide
•
Take a “head to heart” approach with your
drivers and bring emotion into the
conversation
•
Build a safety culture where good driving
behavior is recognized and rewarded
•
Use disciplinary action in accordance with a
company policy
•
Assume your drivers will just figure it out
•
Ignore their concerns, or talk at them
•
Only take a punitive approach to risky driver
behaviors
•
Single out drivers exhibiting risky behaviors
•
Stay distant and disconnected from your drivers
•
Allow the workplace to be just a place to punch
in and punch out
•
Rely only on disciplinary action or use it without
a documented policy in place
DO
DON’T
19
The concept of “trust, but verify” is a great way to ensure
drivers are following your company policies. You’re busy
running your business, so enlist technology to do the heavy
lifting of driver management for you.
When it comes to protecting your company and drivers,
capturing simple movements may not be enough. You need
technology that leaves no doubt about what a driver was doing
at any given point in time.
The most advanced dash cams use a combination of machine
vision and artificial intelligence (MV+AI).
Sees and recognizes
Interprets and decides
To learn more about MV+AI,
read Demystifying MV+AI Technology
CHAPTER 4:
How dash cams help
to mitigate distracted
driving
MACHINE VISION
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
20
How does it work?
In this example, machine vision sees an
object—like a cell phone—and detects the
motion of the driver’s head. Artificial intelligence
uses logic to determine that this combination is
risky, and will deliver an audio alert. Ideally, the
driver will put the phone down.
This is an actual event triggered by AI
identification of handheld phone use. With just a
few seconds of video, you can verify what the
driver is doing and take appropriate action.