Target Zero

STEP 1

Understanding Distracted Driving in the Workplace

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What?

While it may seem easy to move right into action (such as creating a policy and telling everyone to follow it), spending time to understand distracted driving in the workplace is the first step. 

Why?

Skipping this step can lead to ineffective policies that may not address what is really happening. Furthermore, gathering some initial data can help reveal if your efforts are effective and what adjustments you may need to make in the future.

If your workplace doesn’t already gather data about distracted driving, you may decide you need to administer a survey to better understand the issue. The survey can provide both prevalence and cultural data.

Start by gathering data. Here are three types of data that you may be able to collect.

1.

  • Prevalence Data

Find Out:  How often people engage in distracted driving behaviors like talking on a cell phone, texting, or eating while driving. 

Pro Tip:  Does your company collect on-the job crash data? If so, the data may include the reasons for the crash. Be careful, however. Sometimes distraction could have been a factor in a crash but, unless a driver admits to being distracted, it may get left out of your data. Surveys of employees is another way to collect prevalence data.

2.

  • Consequence Data

Find Out: 

The consequences associated with distracted driving can be costly, from injuries, insurance claims, missed workdays, and property damage costs. If your company collects on-the-job crash data, it may also collect data about the consequences of the crash. These data can provide motivation to address safe driving in the workplace.

3.

  • Cultural Data

Find Out:  The values and beliefs of individuals about specific behaviors even as distracted driving. Beliefs like “it’s not dangerous for me to use my cell phone while driving” or “my supervisor expects me to always answer a call” can increase the likelihood of distracted driving. Collecting data about beliefs can provide a more complete picture of distracted driving at your workplace.

Conducting an Employee Distracted Driving Survey

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Conducting an employee survey about distracted driving requires thoughtful planning. To be valuable, it must be designed and implemented in a way that will provide the information you need.

Smaller Workplaces

Smaller workplaces seek to gather the kind of information included on the survey through small group conversations. However, gathering accurate information requires that employees can be open and honest about what they do and believe. Sometimes, this can only be achieved by an anonymous survey compiled by someone other than the workplace.

Larger Workplaces

Larger workplaces have experience implementing surveys or may engage a contractor.

A quality survey can provide you with a better understanding of what is really going on and opportunities to increase safety.  

Gather the prevalence, consequence, and cultural data accessible and make it available during the subsequent steps – especially when revising or adopting a new distracted driving policy.

Step 1 Tools

An example of a survey on distracted driving in the workplace can be found in Tool 1A Workplace Survey on Distracted Driving. The survey gathers behaviors, values, and beliefs from employees about distracted driving and ask others to stop distracted driving. The survey is provided in English and in Spanish.

You can create an online distracted driving survey for your employees in Tool 1A.  Fill out the form on the page and a link to an online survey unique for your organization will be sent to you. When the survey is complete we will send you a report.

Workplace leaders, managers, and supervisors are often surprised by the information they learn from a survey. A sample key findings report based on the example survey is provided in Tool 1B Sample Key Findings Report. Reviewing the sample key findings report and seeing what a survey can reveal may motivate you to implement a survey.

Questions to consider

  • Do you collect crash data?
  • Do you know the prevalence of distracted driving among your employees?
  • Do you know the consequences of distracted driving for your workplace?

Questions to Consider:

  • Do you collect crash data?
  • Do you know the prevalence of distracted driving among your employees?
  • Do you know the consequences of distracted driving for your workplace?

Click the documents button to see all available downloadable documentation.

Click the round blue button for extra tips and info!

Washington Distracted Driving Law

In creating and implementing a workplace policy, it is important to understand current laws in Washington. In Washington, it is against the law to use your cell phone while you are driving. 

Laws explicitly include both text-based communications and talking on the phone while driving without appropriate hands-free devices. 

 Washington also acknowledges that a wide variety of other behaviors could distract a driver and result in dangerously distracted driving. An officer can cite a driver for engaging in any activity not related to the actual operation of the motor vehicle in a manner that interferes with its safe operation. See: https://wadrivetozero.com/distracted-driving/ for more information about the laws.

Key Terms for Workplace Distracted Driving Policies

Company business: any situation where an employee is performing tasks on behalf of their employer. 

Hands-free device: a mobile device that can be operated through voice command, often through a wireless or Bluetooth connection, integrated into the vehicle. 

Hand-held device: a mobile device that is operated while holding the phone in hand and operating it through pressing buttons or a touch screen. 

Mobile device: any portable communication device including (but not limited to) mobile phones, smart phones, tablets, and laptop computers. 

Employer-owned or Employee-owned device: Employees may conduct company business on devices that are either employer owned or employee owned. Both types of devices may be for work as well as personal uses.