{"id":8227,"date":"2020-10-29T19:31:45","date_gmt":"2020-10-29T18:31:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=8227"},"modified":"2020-10-29T19:32:06","modified_gmt":"2020-10-29T18:32:06","slug":"driving-behaviors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2020\/10\/29\/driving-behaviors\/","title":{"rendered":"Work Demands Contribute to Distracted Driving Behaviors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo: NSC<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Drivers continue to struggle to obey state laws that prevent cell phone use, due in part by demands or pressure from work that lead drivers to read or send emails while driving.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Drivers continue to struggle to obey state laws that prevent cell phone use, due in part by demands or pressure from work that lead drivers to read or send emails while driving, according to a survey released by the National Safety Council (NSC) and TRUCE Software.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the survey of 2,001 registered drivers ages 25 and older across the country, 46% say \u201cdemands or pressure from work\u201d leads them to glance at, read, or send emails while driving.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Further, NSC and TRUCE said it urges employers to promote a safe driving culture, something the survey indicated many companies may not foster effectively enough. Since October is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, NSC and the observation\u2019s lead sponsor, TRUCE, a company dedicated to decreasing workplace distraction and improving worker safety, are urging employers to enact distracted driving policies at their workplaces to compensate for many drivers\u2019 unwillingness to adhere to state laws.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEmployers are in a unique position to influence behaviors across large groups of individuals by making sure they have the right policies in place and the tools to enforce those policies, changing not just what happens behind the while but also how the rest of the organization communicates with their driving coworkers,\u201d said Joe Boyle, CEO of TRUCE.<\/span><\/p>\n

The study also\u00a0observed that approximately 62% of drivers are \u201cvery willing\u201d to obey cell phone use laws.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thousands die each year in distracted driving crashes, though National Safety Council investigations show these crashes are significantly underreported and undercounted, according to the coucil. Despite 48 states banning texting while driving, and 25 states banning handheld use, drivers responding to the NSC-TRUCE survey indicated it will take more than laws to change their behaviors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Approximately, 61% said they would need to be involved in a near-miss \u2013 and 59% said they would have to be involved in a fatal crash \u2013 to be dissuaded from using technology while driving. Another 58% cited state laws and 52% cited federal laws as being enough to change behavior. Encouragingly, 56% said they believe employers policies are effective distracted driving deterrents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other important findings from the poll include:<\/span><\/p>\n