Understanding the three main areas contributing to driver distraction—physical activities, mental awareness, and distractions caused by visual or audio equipment—is crucial. It provides a comprehensive view of the problem and helps in formulating effective solutions to address the common causes of road incidents.
The law mandates the management of health and safety risks for workers who drive as part of a work activity. Fleet managers should, therefore, prioritise safety protocols in their company driving policy, covering areas such as mobile phone use, smoking in company vehicles, speeding and idling. Many of those activities are illegal, so your company’s driving policy should not only reinforce zero tolerance for illegal activities but also be extended to incorporate other distracting activities. However, simply making something ‘against the rules’ does not guarantee total compliance. Regular communication and safety refreshers reinforce the importance of these rules, demonstrating your organisation’s commitment to ensuring maximum safety. Reinforcing safety messages should eventually filter down to help reduce the number of incidents out on the road.
As driving is an activity that most people do every day, driver complacency is a significant challenge in gaining compliance. This is likely true for all drivers, but many may need to realise how distractions can impact their ability to focus and stay safe. Many actions that lead to driver distractions are not illegal, such as chatting with passengers or stressing about being late for a meeting. However, these distractions can divert a driver’s attention from the road. As an employer, you are responsible for ensuring that you are not contributing to any distractions by providing drivers with effective route planning, rest time, and tools to prevent illegal activities such as using a hand-held mobile device while driving. This responsibility should be taken seriously and acted upon proactively.
Despite hefty penalties and numerous campaigns, illegally using mobile phones while driving remains an issue. Many people use their phones throughout the day, and removing this activity from the vehicle environment is challenging. However, even a few seconds of reading a text can distract a driver from focusing on the road, increasing the potential for a collision.
It is recommended that drivers keep their phones on silent and only check messages when leaving the vehicle or parked safely. Although hands-free use of a mobile device is not illegal when driving and is essential for some people to use during their work activity, having your phone plugged into the car’s audio means that every time someone calls or messages you, you will become distracted.
Many people believe that having a business conversation while driving at work or when commuting is a good use of their time, but driving requires 100% concentration at all times, so this shouldn’t be encouraged.
Manufacturers are incorporating more technology and systems into vehicles than ever before. They say they enhance the driving experience and improve safety, even quoting that they keep drivers better connected. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems can definitely improve road safety, but this technology is there to help drivers—not replace them. Sometimes, too much technology can also prove to be a distraction, and over-reliance may lead to drivers not fully concentrating, impacting their mental awareness.
Some say cars don’t crash. People do, and that is true; apart from a major mechanical failure, most incidents out on the road are caused by driver error.
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