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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

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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

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Distractions Include:• 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

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Distracted Driving Facts:Activities Drivers Engage in While Driving:

96% Talking to passengers89% Adjusting vehicle climate / sound system controls74% Eating meal / snack73% Using a cell phone51% Texting41% Tending to children34% Reading a map / publication19% Grooming11% Preparing for work

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Distracted Driving Fact:

We make approximately 200 decisions for every mile of driving.

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Distracted Driving Facts

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Inattentive orDistracted

Driver

Failure toYield

Following tooClosely

RoadConditions

Weather

Accident Contributing Factors60

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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Benefits of Cell Phones• What are some of the benefits of having a cell

phone?

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Hazards of Cell Phone Use• Let’s take a little time to talk about some of the

concerns of cell phone use and separate:

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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.

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Cell Phone’s and Driving• The key factor in vehicle crash data and the use of

cell phones is:

An estimated 11% of drivers in 2009 were talking on their cell phones at any given time.

28% of all crashes involve talking on cell phones accounting for 1.6 million crashes. –National Safety Council, June 2010

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Hand-Held vs. Hands-Free• The old saying is:

• It’s true when it comes to driving while using cell phones!

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All studies found the same common denominator with

Cell Phone Use While Driving• 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

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Do Cell Phones Do Cell Phones Really Really Help Help Emergency Medical Personnel Emergency Medical Personnel

(Fire, EMS, Rescue, Police) Get (Fire, EMS, Rescue, Police) Get to an Emergency Faster?to an Emergency Faster?

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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

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What’s an Employer to Do?What’s an Employer to Do?

Is Your Company at Risk . . .?Is Your Company at Risk . . .?

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Liability is EverywhereBill, who works for your

company, is driving home from work one evening.

He calls a customer on his cell phone to discuss a

delivery schedule for the next day. Engrossed in

the conversation, Bill fails to stop at a stop sign. His

car strikes & injures a teenager who is crossing

the street. The teenager’s family sues.

•Can your business be held legally liable?

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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

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TIPSTIPS

For Cell Phone UseFor Cell Phone Use

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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Taking Control 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

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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