Vienna, Va. -- A new study of
company vehicle fleet crash rates reveals the top safety performers are
companies with policies enacting a total ban on cell phone use (handheld and
hands-free) and that establish strong consequences—including termination—for
employees who violate such policies.
The latest Strength
in Numbers Fleet Benchmarking Study, sponsored by the Network of Employers
for Traffic Safety (NETS), found the significant commonalities among the
leading performers were not only that they were more likely to have a total ban
on mobile phone use, but 6 of the 8 leading companies were also more likely to
terminate a driver for violating the company’s mobile device policy. By
comparison, all thirteen companies that fell in the bottom of the rankings had
some degree of a mobile device policy, but none had the option to terminate a
driver for violating the policy.
The year-long benchmarking study examined fleets from 45 leading
companies in the pharmaceutical, oil and gas, food and beverage,
telecommunications, transportation, package delivery and insurance industries.
The companies, including 27 in the Fortune 500, operate a combined fleet of
just over 400,000 vehicles that logged more than 8 billion miles in 2009.
The study participants’ crash rate per million miles (CPMM) ranged from less
than one to nearly 12.
“Last year, distracted driving killed nearly 6,000 people and
injured half a million more,” said U.S. Transportation Department Secretary,
Ray LaHood. “I want to thank the companies who have stepped up to help
fight talking and texting behind the wheel by establishing employee policies
with tough penalties for distracted driving. Through these kinds of
efforts, we can put a stop to the needless and tragic deaths and injuries
caused by this dangerous epidemic.”
“This is the first evidence we’ve seen that shows the combination
of a strong mobile device policy and strict consequences can result in lower
crash rates,” said Bill Windsor, NETS Board Chairman. “The benchmark study
shows the potential for well-written state laws combined with strong
enforcement to eventually reduce crash rates in the general population.”
The NETS study also revealed that eight out of nine of the
top-ranking fleets regularly review drivers’ mobile phone records after a crash
to determine if the driver was using a phone at the time of the incident.
Other best practices include: conducting a commentary drive (ride-along with a
co-worker or manager) after a collision; tracking CPMM on a monthly basis; and
publishing fleet safety performance via monthly scorecards.
The NETS Strength in
Numbers members offer tips when constructing a corporate mobile device
policy:
·
Make sure
you have a policy, not a guideline. Guidelines are typically interpreted
as suggestions and are more difficult to enforce.
·
Policy
language must be clear. One member’s policy prohibits employees from
using “any electronic device in any gear other than park.” Another
company’s policy language clearly prohibits “all electronic devices” so there
is no confusion over which devices are allowed—they ban them all.
· Contractors should abide
by the same rules as employees. Make sure the policy also covers any
contractors working on behalf of the organization and that they are aware of
and have signed off on the policy.
· Enforcement is
key. One NETS member emphasized they make sure their employees and
contractors understand “if you break the rules, you don’t work for us.”
About Strength in Numbers:
The Strength in Numbers fleet benchmarking
study brings together socially responsible companies willing to look at
their own crash metrics, compare findings and share what they’ve learned. The
program is for all types of companies and organizations— large or small, local
or global, public or private. Participants collect standardized data over
a 12-month period. Once compiled, the resulting benchmarking data show how a
company compares in terms of crash frequencies taking into consideration road
safety policies, driver training programs, crash review practices and more.
Members identify best practices to put in place a cost effective, integrated,
and comprehensive plan to improve fleet-safety performance.
The Strength in Numbers
fleet benchmark program also includes access to road safety experts and an
invitation to attend and participate in NETS’ annual Benchmark Best Practices
Conference. For more information on the Strength in Numbers
program or to become a participant, visit the NETS website at www.trafficsafety.org or send an e-mail to jhanley@trafficsafety.org.
About NETS
NETS is a 501(c)3 organization,
a partnership between the U.S. federal government and leading companies
including Abbott, AmeriFleet Transportation, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Chubb
Group of Insurance, Johnson & Johnson, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group,
Nationwide Mutual Insurance, Monsanto Company and UPS. Established in
1989, NETS is dedicated to improving the safety and health of employees, their
families, and members of the communities in which they live and work by preventing
traffic crashes that occur both on- and off-the-job. For more information
on NETS, visit www.trafficsafety.org.
