The facts about mobile phones and driving

Transcription

1 The facts about mobile phones and driving The facts about mobile phones and driving 1

2 Use of mobile phones while driving policy Employee safety, health and wellbeing is of the highest importance to us. We are committed to maintaining a safe, healthy and productive environment for all employees, customers and visitors. Our goal is to create safer and healthier working environments that achieve our vision of zero incidents, zero harm, zero compromise, every day. We will help our employees to take care wherever possible, including while driving on business. This booklet outlines the facts surrounding mobile phone use while driving. Using mobile phones while driving can put drivers, passengers and other road users at risk Research shows that around 7,800 people are killed or seriously injured every year in road traffic collisions involving someone who was driving, riding, or otherwise using the road for work purposes. That s 150 incidents per week and makes driving one of the most dangerous work activities for most people. Any distraction such as using a mobile phone (even hands free) while driving can: increase the risk of road traffic collisions slow reaction times lead to individuals harming themselves and/or others. Our company policy is that mobile phones hands free or otherwise should not be used while driving on company business. The full policy can be viewed on the HR pages of the portal. Please speak with your manager if you have any questions. 2 The facts about mobile phones and driving The facts about mobile phones and driving 3

3 Our policy on not using mobile phones while driving applies to everyone driving on company business You must: plan journeys so they include rest stops when messages can be checked and calls returned pull over in a safe place before making a call leave incoming calls to go to voic stop a call immediately when you realise that the person you have called is driving on company business challenge unsafe attitudes and behaviours, encourage all staff to drive safely and lead by example by never using a phone when driving on company business co-operate with monitoring, reporting and investigation procedures You must not: make or receive calls while driving send or read texts or s or otherwise use a mobile phone, whether hand-held or hands-free while driving on company business expect other employees to answer calls when they re driving 4 The facts about mobile phones and driving The facts about mobile phones and driving 5

4 Using a mobile while driving Know the facts Drivers who use a mobile phone, whether hand-held or hands-free: Using any mobile phone while driving can be dangerous are much less aware of what s happening on the road around them fail to see road signs fail to maintain proper lane position and steady speed are more likely to tailgate the vehicle in front react more slowly and take longer to brake are more likely to enter unsafe gaps in traffic feel more stressed and frustrated Research indicates: Drivers who use phones while driving are four times more likely to crash injuring or killing themselves and/or other people. Myth-buster Myth Using a hands-free, instead of a standard phone means there is no danger. Fact Using a hands-free phone while driving doesn t significantly reduce the risk. The risk is caused by the mental distraction and divided attention of taking part in a phone conversation at the same time as driving. 6 The facts about mobile phones and driving The facts about mobile phones and driving 7

5 Texting while driving slows reaction times by more than 37% Using a mobile while driving Know the law It is illegal to use a hand-held phone while driving. While the use of a hands-free phone is legal, you could still be prosecuted for careless or dangerous driving if an incident takes place and the use of your mobile phone is seen as a contributory factor. The police now regularly check phone records when investigating fatal and serious vehicle collisions to determine if use of a phone contributed to them. Employers who require staff to use any mobile phone while driving for work could be prosecuted if an investigation determined that the use of their work phone contributed to a crash, resulting in both criminal or civil proceedings being brought against the organisation. 8 The facts about mobile phones and driving The facts about mobile phones and driving 9

6 Helping you to drive safely Our fleet services provide training for all those driving on company business. See the fleet and safety, health and wellbeing pages of the portal to find out more information on the latest training and initiatives. The full policy on the use of mobile phones while driving on company business can be found on the HR pages of the portal. 10 The facts about mobile phones and driving The facts about mobile phones and driving 11

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