The mobile phone has revolutionised the way we communicate. It has not only permeated every facet of our lives – work, personal and social – but has brought them together into the one space. And because our mobiles are always at arm’s reach, they have the potential to impact everything we do, including our ability to drive a car safely.
Using a mobile phone while driving is a growing and concerning behaviour for organisations. There is a large body of road safety research suggesting that mobile phones are just one of many distractions that have the ability to divert a driver’s attention away from the road on a daily basis. And the evidence is clear: taking your eyes off the road poses the most dangerous and greatest risk when driving a vehicle.
The NRSPP has developed a mobile phone policy guide which aims to help organisations of all sizes successfully implement a policy for managing the safe use of mobiles in vehicles. The guide’s aims to change the organisation’s culture of employee mobile phone use and seeks to extend safer usage from the workplace to employees’ time away from work and in the broader community.
Organisations have a responsibility to provide their employees with a safe working environment, which also extends to when they are driving vehicles. Therefore, it is critical that processes are put in place to ensure that the demands of an organisation’s operations are not a catalyst for employees to use mobile phones illegally or in an unsafe manner.
Having a well-planned policy in place can give structure and direction for organisations to support their employees to be safe on the roads.
What’s the evidence and what’s the risk to my employees?
There is a large body of road-safety research that shows mobile phones are one of many distractions that drivers may face on a daily basis. With the help of driving simulator studies, research has shown that interacting with a mobile phone in different ways can impair driving performance.
What does creating a policy involve?
The aim of a Safe Mobile Phone Use Policy is to help employees understand the risks of using mobile phones while driving and manage expectations around driving behaviour. It is important to implement a policy that is understood and adhered to because safety in the workplace is paramount and this extends to safety in the vehicle.
The complete guide can assist organisations to develop and implement a successful Safe Mobile Phone Use Policy. The key considerations when creating a policy are:
1. Baseline analysis – this involves an assessment of an organisation’s culture in relation to mobile phone use while driving.
2. Training and education – this is an important component of implementing a policy, which can be supported by monitoring driving behaviour and analysing crash data (where possible).
3. Review of day-to-day work-related operations – the policy should be designed in a way that reduces the need for workers to use mobile phones while driving for business purposes.
What are the fundamentals of a good policy?
These principles are based on a common sense approach and are the recommended minimum level for a good practice and include:
1. Always keep your eyes on the road
2. Never text – its illegal and high risk
3. Buy, install and use a cradle for your phone
4. Use your smart phone and the car’s features, such as Bluetooth and hands-free
5. Don’t automatically answer your phone; consider the road and traffic conditions and do not engage in complex or emotional conversation whilst on a mobile
6. Ensure the caller knows you are driving
7. If you pull over for a call, ensure it is safe for you and other road users
The NRSPP guide recognises that banning mobile phone use while driving is not always practical and could have unintended consequences. Bans may lead to driver behaviour with higher risk, e.g. drivers trying to hide their phone use in their lap, making them look down and away from the road rather than using a phone mount on the dash, which directs the eyes up and ahead.
For more information on when the policy guide and supporting material will be available please go to www.nrspp.org.au and create an account.
