Distracted Driving

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of job-related deaths. Distraction—particularly cell phone use—plays a major role in these incidents, multiplying crash risks, driving up workers' compensation costs, and exposing employers to severe financial and legal liabilities.

The Cost to Employers

• Financial Burden: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that a non-fatal injury crash at work involving distraction costs an employer an average of $100,310. [1]

• Litigation and Liability: National Safety Council research shows that corporate employers have been held liable for up to $25 million in settlements for crashes caused by employees using cell phones while driving, even when using hands-free devices.

• Corporate Exposure: Nearly 32% of companies report having direct knowledge or evidence of vehicle crashes occurring due to employee cell phone use, and this figure jumps to 50% for larger fleets. [1]

The Core Statistics

• Frequency: Driving while using a cell phone makes a driver 3 to 4 times more likely to get into an accident.

• The Five-Second Rule: Texting takes your eyes off the road for about 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that equates to driving the length of an entire football field blindfolded.

• General Impact: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that distracted driving accounts for thousands of fatalities and hundreds of thousands of injuries every single year on American roads.

• Workplace Pressure: 25% of drivers admit to feeling a high degree of pressure from their managers or company to respond to work-related messages while they are driving.