Distracted Driving:Avoid Becoming A Statistic

Distracted Driving Statistics• In 2010, there were a total of 32,788 fatalities.

(NHTSA)

• In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in crashes involving driver distraction (16% of total fatalities). (NHTSA)

• 20% of 1.8 million injury crashes involved distracted driving (NHTSA)

• 40% of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a phone in a way that puts people in danger. (Pew)

Distracted Driving Statistics• Headset cell phone use is not substantially safer

than handheld use. (VTTI)

• Drivers who use hand-held devices are 4 times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves (Monash Univ.)

• Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%. (Carnegie Mellon)

DefinitionWhat is distracted driving?

• Visual• Manual• Cognitive

Distracted driving is any non-driving activity/ a person engages in that has a potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increases the risk of crashing

Risks VS Attention/Distraction

0

25

50

75

100

Risk

Attention

RISK R

ISK

RISK

RISK

RISK

TIME

Multitasking Demonstration

Merge

Slippery When Wet

Curve

Start Writing

Start Writing

Merge

Slippery When Wet

Curve

Start Writing

Drive Cam – What is it?

Visual Distraction

Visual Distraction

Cognitive Distraction

Cognitive Distraction

Cognitive Distraction

Cognitive Distraction

Research

…..conversing on cell phones while driving disrupts the driver's attention to the visual environment, leading to what the authors call "inattention blindness," or the inability to recognize objects encountered in the driver's visual field

David Strayer, Frank Drews and William Johnston at the University of Utah

What causes crashes?

• 95% Indecision or Poor Decisions

• 5% Mechanical Defects or Environment

Decision Making Process

Input

Knowledge & TrainingExperience & Attitude

Output Decisions

SeeingHearingFeeling

Research

When drivers were conversing on either a handheld or hands-free cell phone, their braking reactions were delayed and they were involved in more traffic accidents than when they were not conversing on a cell phone.

David Strayer, Frank Drews and William Johnston at the University of Utah

Stopping Distance

Perception Time0.75 SecondsReaction Time0.75 Seconds

Breaking Time?

Distance Traveled

Traveling at 75 mph(110 ft/sec)

0.75 sec perception = 82.5 ft+0.75 sec reaction = 82.5 ft 1.5 sec = 165 ft before braking

Apps

• Vlingo – Voice activated and reads texts• DriveSafe.ly Reads and responds to e-mails

and text messages• iZup, tXtBlocker, CellSafety and ZoomSafer

- lock phone while in motion – GPS based• CellControl – hardware installed into

vehicle - ODBII

Example Policy Statements

• Employees must comply with Federal, State, or Local regulations which may exist to control usage of mobile devices while operating a motor vehicle.

• Drivers may not send or review received text messages, either on a company-owned or personally-owned device.

Example Policy Statements

Drivers may not operate any other mobile device, including but not limited to a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), Converged Device (Blackberry), Pocket PC, binaural headset-based audio device such as an MP3 player, or laptop computer, whether a company-owned or personally-owned device.

Example Policy Statements

Any employee who fails to adhere to this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, including, for example, written warning, and/or subsequent restrictions on using a vehicle for company business.

Negligent Entrustment…..must prove1. That the owner entrusted the vehicle to the

driver;2. That the driver was unlicensed, incompetent,

or reckless;3. That the owner knew or should have known

that the driver was unlicensed, incompetent, or reckless;

Negligent Entrustment…..must prove4. That the driver was negligent in the operation

of the vehicle;5. That the driver’s negligence resulted in

damages

Negligent Entrustment Case Studies

• A nine (9) year old died and several other people were seriously injured. Insured's driver was operating one of the vehicles involved. Insured sued for negligent operation of a vehicle and under the doctrine of respondent superior.

Liability = $2.5 millionReputational Liability = ?

Negligent Entrustment Case Studies

• Insured vehicle struck while attempting a left turn. Insured driver found to be using alcohol. The passenger in the insured vehicle suffered severe bodily injury. The insured operator was killed.

WC Costs – StatutoryPotential Liability $2.9 millionReputational Liability = ?

Technologies to help….• DriveCam http://www.drivecam.com/• SmartDrive http://www.smartdrive.net/• Onboard Advisor

https://www.onboardadvisor.com/• GreenRoad http://www.greenroad.com/• Envision http://www.datadrivensafety.com/

Technologies to help….• License Monitor

http://www.licensemonitor.com/• State license event automatic notification

service– ex. New York State LENS (License Event

Notification System)

Distracted Driving:Avoid Becoming A Statistic

Resources:US Department of Transportation

Network of Employers for Traffic SafetyNational Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationLiberty Mutual Loss Control Advisory Services

ANSI/ASSE Z15.1-2006 Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operation