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Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Corporate America Works To Limit Cell Phone Use in Fleet Vehicles
ZoomSafer, a
software company that develops software for smart phone and tablets that "promotes safe and legal use while employees
are driving company vehicles" has conducted a follow up survey of more than 900
business professionals to "gauge
corporate fleet operators’ perspectives and attitudes toward employee use of
mobile devices while driving." Their
first survey was conducted in May of 2011. The results show that those
corporations with fleet vehicles driven by their employees take the issue of
distracted driving and specifically cell phone use very seriously.
Here are
some of the results from this year’s survey:
·
When
asked if their company had a written cell phone policy for drivers, 80% of the
respondents said their company had such a policy; a 29% increase over the
results of last year’s survey.
·
52%
of companies without a written policy have plans to implement one in the near
future.
·
86%
of respondents report that their company takes steps to enforce their written
policy; a 52% increase over last year. Methods of enforcement include:
o
Written
signed policy 79%
o
Training
74%
o
Supervisor/Peer
reporting 72%
o
Post
crash discipline 58%
o
Random
safety audits 40%
However,
confidence in those enforcement methods isn't very high with only 26% of
respondents having confidence that their company’s enforcement methods are
effective.
As a further
method of ensuring employee compliance with written cell phone policies:
·
13%
plan to use in vehicle video cameras
·
21%
plan to use cell phone based software, and
·
26%
plan to use cell phone analytics
Labels: cell phone, distracted driving, driver safety
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Focus Driven Focuses on Victims of Distracted Driving
Focus Driven, a web site devoted to advocating for the victims of distracted drivers, recently announced the redesign of their website. With help from Allstate Insurance and other safety organizations, the new website dramatically points out the dangers of distracted driving by drivers who use cell phones or text while driving.
Focus Driven is devoted exclusively to advocating for the victims of distracted drivers by providing victims services and counseling. A goal of their website is to become the "primary national database of crash survivors, families of crash victims and other advocates" and in their words, "putting a human face to the science and statistics of distracted driving crashes."
As part of that effort, a heart wrenching feature of the website includes the individual stories of distracted driving victims and their families, including photos, bios, and the details of their death.
The organization recently held a Distracted Driving Summit in Illinois which featured US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, among others. Secretary LaHood said that distracted driving is responsible for at least 5,500 deaths and more than 450,000 injuries in the US. Focus Driven and the other sponsors are calling for legislation to ban the use of mobile communication devices while driving. According to Secretary LaHood, currently 30 states have banned texting while driving but only 8 have banned the use of hand-held cell phone use by drivers.
Focus Driven is unique in that its governing documents require that the governing board be made up exclusively of victims of distracted driving either directly or by the loss of a close relative.
For more information, visit the Focus Driven website at: http://www.focusdriven.org/
Focus Driven is devoted exclusively to advocating for the victims of distracted drivers by providing victims services and counseling. A goal of their website is to become the "primary national database of crash survivors, families of crash victims and other advocates" and in their words, "putting a human face to the science and statistics of distracted driving crashes."
As part of that effort, a heart wrenching feature of the website includes the individual stories of distracted driving victims and their families, including photos, bios, and the details of their death.
The organization recently held a Distracted Driving Summit in Illinois which featured US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, among others. Secretary LaHood said that distracted driving is responsible for at least 5,500 deaths and more than 450,000 injuries in the US. Focus Driven and the other sponsors are calling for legislation to ban the use of mobile communication devices while driving. According to Secretary LaHood, currently 30 states have banned texting while driving but only 8 have banned the use of hand-held cell phone use by drivers.
Focus Driven is unique in that its governing documents require that the governing board be made up exclusively of victims of distracted driving either directly or by the loss of a close relative.
For more information, visit the Focus Driven website at: http://www.focusdriven.org/
Labels: avoid distracted driving, cell phone, distracted driving, focused driven
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
How to Avoid Road Rage Incidents
Some recent news articles concerning road rage incidents have pointed out how people can draw themselves into a road rage incident and some of the terrible mistakes that drivers make when they try to retaliate against an aggressive driver. A recent incident in Florida involved an enraged driver who started shooting and another driver, believing he had to defend himself, shooting back, resulting in a pitched gun battle on an interstate highway while other drivers swerved to get out of the way. Not only was the “road-rager” arrested but the other driver, who felt justified in shooting back, was surprised when he was arrested as well.
In previous articles, we discussed the difference between aggressive driving and road rage and the fact that people often use the terms interchangeably or get them confused. Road rage occurs when a driver snaps and tries to physically punish another driver. In this article we are going to discuss how to avoid road rage incidents and what to do if you find yourself the target of an enraged driver.
Incidents of road rage have grown to epidemic proportions and a quick Google search turns up a surprising number of road rage incidents that happened within the past 24 hours, several of them involving gunfire. Current economic conditions may be adding to the problem.
In 2006, the American Psychiatric Association gave road rage its own diagnosis, referring to it as Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED). IED is characterized by a degree of aggressiveness during the episode that is grossly out of proportion to any influencing events; it is a form of temporary insanity, in which the enraged individual wants to hurt other individuals or to destroy property. IED is more commonly found in young men and it is estimated that one in fourteen individuals are capable of experiencing the disorder. The bottom line is that, when you are dealing with someone in a road rage incident, you are not dealing with someone who is rational or reasonable.
How can you avoid being the victim of a road rage incident? There are a number of steps you can take; the key is to avoid, as much as possible, irritating another driver.
Retaliating against other drivers by honking your horn, flashing your lights, making gestures, or trying to keep another driver from passing can trigger a traffic game, which can lead to a road rage incident. You may have experienced a traffic game in the past. One example is when a driver slows down in response to a tailgater, only to have the tailgater pass the driver and slow down as "punishment." In this situation, the tailgater is trying to teach the first driver a lesson. If the first driver tries to pass and becomes involved in the game, the two drivers could very quickly find themselves in a life or death struggle.
If you find yourself in this type of situation, do whatever it takes to get out, including getting off the road if necessary. Don’t allow yourself to be drawn in to a traffic game. You are never in such a hurry that it is worth becoming the victim of road rage.
One mistake people make that often results in serious injury or death is to stop to argue with the other driver. Remember that this person may have temporarily lost all touch with reality and may react in a way that is totally out of proportion to the incident.
If you encounter an aggressive or enraged driver, remember the following tips:
Another aspect of Intermittent Explosive Disorder is that, after the event, the individuals usually feel upset, embarrassed, and genuinely remorseful but, by that time, it is usually too late. If you are confronted by an aggressive driver, you must put safety first.
Additional Articles on Driver Courtesy: Forget It and Drive On
In previous articles, we discussed the difference between aggressive driving and road rage and the fact that people often use the terms interchangeably or get them confused. Road rage occurs when a driver snaps and tries to physically punish another driver. In this article we are going to discuss how to avoid road rage incidents and what to do if you find yourself the target of an enraged driver.
Incidents of road rage have grown to epidemic proportions and a quick Google search turns up a surprising number of road rage incidents that happened within the past 24 hours, several of them involving gunfire. Current economic conditions may be adding to the problem.
In 2006, the American Psychiatric Association gave road rage its own diagnosis, referring to it as Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED). IED is characterized by a degree of aggressiveness during the episode that is grossly out of proportion to any influencing events; it is a form of temporary insanity, in which the enraged individual wants to hurt other individuals or to destroy property. IED is more commonly found in young men and it is estimated that one in fourteen individuals are capable of experiencing the disorder. The bottom line is that, when you are dealing with someone in a road rage incident, you are not dealing with someone who is rational or reasonable.
How can you avoid being the victim of a road rage incident? There are a number of steps you can take; the key is to avoid, as much as possible, irritating another driver.
- Pay attention to the road ahead and be aware of the drivers around you. If you see an aggressive driver approaching in your rear view mirror, get out of his way. Move into another lane or give him plenty of space to get around you.
- Giving full attention to your driving means staying off of cell phones. Cell phone users tend to drive slower and are slower to regain speed after stopping at a red light.
- Stay in the right hand lane unless you are passing another driver. Keep the left lane clear for passing traffic. If you are on a two-lane road and traffic is building up behind you, pull over and allow faster traffic to pass.
- Use turn signals and slow in time so other drivers will have time to react to your brake lights.
- Remember that you can’t take the right-of-way, you can only give it up to someone else. If someone else insists on taking the right-of-way, give it to them even if you legally have the right-of-way.
- Most importantly, be courteous to other drivers even if they aren’t courteous in return.
Retaliating against other drivers by honking your horn, flashing your lights, making gestures, or trying to keep another driver from passing can trigger a traffic game, which can lead to a road rage incident. You may have experienced a traffic game in the past. One example is when a driver slows down in response to a tailgater, only to have the tailgater pass the driver and slow down as "punishment." In this situation, the tailgater is trying to teach the first driver a lesson. If the first driver tries to pass and becomes involved in the game, the two drivers could very quickly find themselves in a life or death struggle.
If you find yourself in this type of situation, do whatever it takes to get out, including getting off the road if necessary. Don’t allow yourself to be drawn in to a traffic game. You are never in such a hurry that it is worth becoming the victim of road rage.
One mistake people make that often results in serious injury or death is to stop to argue with the other driver. Remember that this person may have temporarily lost all touch with reality and may react in a way that is totally out of proportion to the incident.
If you encounter an aggressive or enraged driver, remember the following tips:
- Never try to retaliate; don’t blow your horn or make any gestures. Let them go! You can't change their behavior and only law enforcement has the authority to correct their behavior.
- Never stop to confront an aggressive driver.
- Never get out of your vehicle if an aggressive driver leaves her vehicle. If you are trapped in traffic or at a red light, do not open your door or roll down your window if the other driver gets out and approaches you. If you have a cell phone, call 911 and ask for help. Let the other driver see you calling. Honk your horn loudly to summon help.
Another aspect of Intermittent Explosive Disorder is that, after the event, the individuals usually feel upset, embarrassed, and genuinely remorseful but, by that time, it is usually too late. If you are confronted by an aggressive driver, you must put safety first.
Additional Articles on Driver Courtesy: Forget It and Drive On
Labels: aggressive driver, aggressive driving, aware driver, cell phone, defensive driving course, intermittent explosive disorder, road rage, road rage incident, thanksgiving traffic safety
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Evidence Proves that Cell Phone Use Contributes to Dangerous Driving Distractions
Driving safety experts have determined that distracted driving contributes to motor vehicle crashes.
A study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute concluded that almost 80 percent of motor vehicle crashes and 65% of near crashes involve driver inattention within three seconds before the event. While the study looked at all different types of driver distractions, it listed use of wireless communication devices (cell phones and PDAs) as the most common form of driver distraction.
Governors in all 50 states have been urged to support legislation that either bans or severely limits the use of cell phones while driving. The request was based on a study by the Harvard Center of Risk Analysis that showed cell phone use is responsible for some 636,000 crashes, resulting in 330,000 injuries and 2,600 deaths each year.
The Harvard study is just one of several over the past few years that have concluded that cell phone use while driving is dangerous. The studies looked at cell phone use and the use of in-vehicle technology from several different aspects; observing driving behavior while using cell phones, how the brain functions when multi-tasking, and the decision making process to use technology while driving.
Five states currently ban the use of hand-held cell phones in favor of hands-free devices while driving. However, several studies have shown that there is little difference between the two when it comes to minding the road ahead. Both hand-held and hands-free devices involve listening. The act of listening is what distracts drivers from paying attention to the road. A study conducted by Carnegie Mellon University placed participants in a functional MRI scanner that allowed researchers to observe brain activity while the subjects “drove” on a computerized roadway. Without distractions, the area of the brain that lit up most was the area involved in spatial perception (knowing where you are and what’s around you). When the same subjects were tasked with listening to and correctly answering a series of questions as they drove, the area of the brain that lit up most was the area involving language comprehension, while activity in the spatial perception area of the brain decreased by as much as 37 percent. Multitasking places high demands on the brain.
Studies that looked at the decision making process drivers engage in when using a variety of in-vehicle technology devices (cell phones, PDAs, GPS, CDs, radios, etc.) showed a disturbing trend. Traffic or road conditions were not necessarily a factor in determining when to use a particular device. The decision was based more on the driver’s motivation to use the device rather than whether or not road conditions were safe enough to permit the task. It was also revealed that participants didn’t rate use of a cell phone as any more dangerous than eating or drinking in a vehicle.
A study completed by the University of Utah put subjects in a driving simulator while researchers observed their driving behavior in three scenarios: 1) without distractions, 2) talking with a passenger, and 3) while engaged in a cell phone conversation. The participants drove roughly 8 miles on a simulated freeway with light to moderate traffic. They were instructed to exit the freeway at a rest stop. Drivers talking on cell phones performed the worse. They were more likely to weave or depart from their lane, and were four times more likely to miss their scheduled turn off at the rest area. Talking to their passenger had little effect on their driving. Although talking on the cell phone or talking to a passenger both require listening and conversation skills, a passenger can provide assistance in pointing out dangers ahead or limit a conversation when the driving task becomes more complicated.
An earlier University of Utah study showed that a 20 year old driver on a cell phone had the same reaction time as a 70 year old. Regardless of age, drivers on cell phones were 18% slower in stepping on the brakes, and 17% slower in regaining their speed after braking. They also kept a greater following distance and slower speed than drivers who were not using cell phones, which contributes to congestion on the roadways.
A study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute concluded that almost 80 percent of motor vehicle crashes and 65% of near crashes involve driver inattention within three seconds before the event. While the study looked at all different types of driver distractions, it listed use of wireless communication devices (cell phones and PDAs) as the most common form of driver distraction.
Governors in all 50 states have been urged to support legislation that either bans or severely limits the use of cell phones while driving. The request was based on a study by the Harvard Center of Risk Analysis that showed cell phone use is responsible for some 636,000 crashes, resulting in 330,000 injuries and 2,600 deaths each year.
The Harvard study is just one of several over the past few years that have concluded that cell phone use while driving is dangerous. The studies looked at cell phone use and the use of in-vehicle technology from several different aspects; observing driving behavior while using cell phones, how the brain functions when multi-tasking, and the decision making process to use technology while driving.
Five states currently ban the use of hand-held cell phones in favor of hands-free devices while driving. However, several studies have shown that there is little difference between the two when it comes to minding the road ahead. Both hand-held and hands-free devices involve listening. The act of listening is what distracts drivers from paying attention to the road. A study conducted by Carnegie Mellon University placed participants in a functional MRI scanner that allowed researchers to observe brain activity while the subjects “drove” on a computerized roadway. Without distractions, the area of the brain that lit up most was the area involved in spatial perception (knowing where you are and what’s around you). When the same subjects were tasked with listening to and correctly answering a series of questions as they drove, the area of the brain that lit up most was the area involving language comprehension, while activity in the spatial perception area of the brain decreased by as much as 37 percent. Multitasking places high demands on the brain.
Studies that looked at the decision making process drivers engage in when using a variety of in-vehicle technology devices (cell phones, PDAs, GPS, CDs, radios, etc.) showed a disturbing trend. Traffic or road conditions were not necessarily a factor in determining when to use a particular device. The decision was based more on the driver’s motivation to use the device rather than whether or not road conditions were safe enough to permit the task. It was also revealed that participants didn’t rate use of a cell phone as any more dangerous than eating or drinking in a vehicle.
A study completed by the University of Utah put subjects in a driving simulator while researchers observed their driving behavior in three scenarios: 1) without distractions, 2) talking with a passenger, and 3) while engaged in a cell phone conversation. The participants drove roughly 8 miles on a simulated freeway with light to moderate traffic. They were instructed to exit the freeway at a rest stop. Drivers talking on cell phones performed the worse. They were more likely to weave or depart from their lane, and were four times more likely to miss their scheduled turn off at the rest area. Talking to their passenger had little effect on their driving. Although talking on the cell phone or talking to a passenger both require listening and conversation skills, a passenger can provide assistance in pointing out dangers ahead or limit a conversation when the driving task becomes more complicated.
An earlier University of Utah study showed that a 20 year old driver on a cell phone had the same reaction time as a 70 year old. Regardless of age, drivers on cell phones were 18% slower in stepping on the brakes, and 17% slower in regaining their speed after braking. They also kept a greater following distance and slower speed than drivers who were not using cell phones, which contributes to congestion on the roadways.
Labels: cell phone, driver safety, driving distractions
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