Note that employers have been held liable for crashes caused by their employees’ cell phone use. It even tells employees what constitutes an acceptable place to pull over and use their phone. This companion to the city’s policy spells out the meaning of “distraction,” breaking it down into cognitive, physical and visual distraction. City of Minneapolis Distracted Driving Procedures.This policy (available by downloading the free Cell Phone Policy Kit) adds that employees are not to use voice features in vehicles. National Safety Council sample distracted driving policy.Employees are required to pull into a rest area or parking lot and stop their vehicles before placing or accepting cell phone calls. This policy, which SFM reprinted with permission from the Society of Human Resource Management, states that employees may not talk or text on their cell phones while driving for work, regardless of whether they use hands-free devices. Here are a few examples of policies you can draw from to address employee cell phone use while driving: Distracted driving policy examplesĪ total employer cell phone ban covers: handheld and hands-free devices, all employees, all company vehicles, all company cell phones and all work-related communication, even in a personal vehicle using a personal cell phone. Nebraska and Iowa have both banned texting while driving. South Dakota also bans texting while driving, as well as hand-held cell phone use for drivers under 18. Wisconsin has also banned use of hand-held devices in construction zones, and all texting while driving is prohibited. In Wisconsin, drivers with a probationary license or instruction permit are prohibited from using both hand-held and hands-free devices except in case of emergency. SFM’s other core states also have cell phone laws, although they are all more lenient. Drivers in authorized emergency vehicles are also exempt while performing official duties. The only exceptions are to obtain emergency assistance, report emergencies, hazards or crimes and report that a person’s life or safety is in danger. Drivers are required to use a hands-free device or voice commands if they are using a cell phone. Starting on August 1, 2019, the use of hand-held cell phones while driving is banned in Minnesota. Many states are starting to pass laws prohibiting certain kinds of cell phone use while driving. Cell phone lawsĪwareness of the connection between car crashes and cell phone use is increasing. There were 3,450 traffic fatalities in 2016 due to distraction-related crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and 42 percent of drivers admit to reading texts or emails while behind the wheel, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. The risk of a crash or near crash is five times higher for drivers who are texting, according to the institute. Most of the increased risk is attributable to reaching for, answering or dialing a cell phone. If you have employees who drive as part of their jobs, your driving policy should address cell phone use. Drivers interacting with cell phones have a 17 percent higher risk of being involved in a crash or near crash, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Have your company’s driving policies kept up?
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