Combating Distracted Driving: Why a Growing Number of Companies Are Saying No to Mobile Phones
Distracted driving claimed 10 lives per day and injured 10,000 people per day in 2015, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Millions of miles are driven each year by employees while traveling on business, so companies are realizing they need to take a stand on distracted driving.
We all have one job when behind the wheel: driving.
In many organizations, there are expectations for employees to call into conference calls and communicate while driving. Employees feel they need to be responsive when called and that unintended expectation may result in tragedy. It's time for CEOs of companies -- and other leadership figures -- to change this expectation. Study after study confirms that high cognitive distraction associated with talking and driving is translating into more fatalities on our roadways. Once you understand the high level of risk you're encouraging employees to take for the sake of a conference call, the decision is easy. Employees and their families -- and everyone else on the road -- deserve it.
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NiSource, a regulated utility company based in Northwest Indiana, took a big step in safety by eliminating mobile phone use while driving. What does that mean? Employees are not allowed to use their mobile devices while driving -- including hands-free. It was a big move, but one that was absolutely necessary. The change means less distractions for employees, so they can drive defensively and avoid other distracted drivers.
We told employees to put away their phones while driving.
According to the National Safety Council, 2016 was the deadliest year on U.S. roadways since 2007. While the country may have experienced its highest injury and fatality rates last year, 2016 proved to be a great year for NiSource, with our strongest year in safe driving performance (a 13 percent improvement). Programs like integrated GPS/diagnostics that monitor speed, braking and cornering, enhanced driver training, a back in/pull through policy and the elimination of mobile devices while driving have helped reduce our accidents and made us more aware of risks outside of our control. Since 2005, our preventable vehicle accidents have declined more than 50 percent. As the senior vice president of safety at NiSource, this improvement is impressive, but we won't be satisfied until we've taken more risk out of the most dangerous activity we do every day: driving. We have a long-standing commitment to our employees that we want everyone to go home to their family the same way they came to work: safe and healthy.
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Act to End Deadly Distractions
This change is about people and culture. Companies, making this change extends well beyond your employees and into the community you serve. Fewer distractions and more focus leads to keeping our roads safer, and we owe that to our customers and communities. Several other leading companies are taking this charge and are interested in our success -- I'd ask you to join NiSource in changing the conversation and expectations about distracted driving at your company and in your home.
For NiSource, it started with our senior executives. They took a "test drive" and applied the policy to their day-to-day lives six months before the policy was introduced to our employees. It has now become a part of who we are: relentless champions for safety. We also learned that it cannot be a suggestion; it must be policy that reflects a commitment and expectation from the top. This is necessary because most drivers believe they're "better than average drivers," and since they haven't yet had an accident, they consider the risk of talking and driving low. In actuality, they're just rolling the dice every day.
Driving is work and requires everyone's full attention.
There's no doubt this transition requires thoughtful communications and change management. Employees may have become accustomed to driving and talking on the phone as part of a normal workday. You may not recognize how much of a risk it is. Eliminating phone usage will impact how you think about your work day, how you communicate and how you manage time -- from interns to the chief executive.
All companies can benefit from this transition.
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Be a Relentless Champion for Safety
Every day, lives are being lost over text messages, phone calls and simple distractions that could have easily been prevented. It's just not worth it. But these stories reinforce that while it's a culture change to completely eliminate mobile device usage while driving, it's about saving lives and keeping people safe. It will make an impact that reaches well beyond a company's four walls.
June is National Safety Month, and now is the time to address distracted driving and the use of mobile phones at your company. We owe it to our employees, their family and our communities.
Dave Monte is a senior vice president of Safety, Environmental and Training at NiSource -- a regulated utility company based out of Northwest Indiana. Residing in Columbus, Ohio, Dave has been with the company for more than 25 years. Starting out as an engineer, he has served in a variety of leadership positions in operations, measurement and regulation and safety, training and environmental. A Schenectady, New York native, he holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Union College in Schenectady, New York and an MBA from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio. Outside of work, Dave is active in the community serving on two boards -- the Make-a-Wish Foundation -- Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana; and the American Red Cross -- Ohio Buckeye Region.
