OSHA's Distracted Driving letter to employers-Distracted Driver Training

David Michaels, PhD, MPH Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health recently posted an open letter to employers.  Here’s an excerpt:

Most employers want to do the right thing and protect their workers, and some have already taken action to prohibit texting while driving. It is your responsibility and legal obligation to create and maintain a safe and healthful workplace, and that would include having a clear, unequivocal and enforced policy against the hazard of texting while driving. Companies are in violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act if, by policy or practice, they require texting while driving, or create incentives that encourage or condone it, or they structure work so that texting is a practical necessity for workers to carry out their job.

To combat the threat of distracted driving, we are prepared to act quickly. When OSHA receives a credible complaint that an employer requires texting while driving or who organizes work so that texting is a practical necessity, we will investigate and where necessary issue citations and penalties to end this practice.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that driver inattention is a factor in 80 percent of highway collisions. By failing to give full attention to the road, distracted drivers put themselves, their passengers and everyone else on the road at risk.

PureSafety offers a Distracted Driver Training course for $19.95 per employee.  This course presents strategies drivers can use to remain focused on the road.