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National Safety Council to Employers: Distracted Driving Can Hurt Your Business


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ITASCA, IL--April 25, 2012: The National Safety Council today released the white paper "Employer Liability and the Case for Comprehensive Cell Phone Policies," which details the potential liability employers face when employees are involved in crashes where cell phone use is a factor and explains the need for organization-wide bans that include hands-free and handheld devices.

“Employer Liability and the Case for Comprehensive Cell Phone Policies”

The research includes examples of employers who have been held liable with awards reaching into the tens of millions of dollars, including cases involving employee-owned cell phones and cars and in situations where employees were driving during non-working hours or engaged in personal phone calls.

"Business leaders owe it to their employees to put safety first -- especially when employees are on the roads," said Janet Froetscher, NSC president and CEO. "Employers should know a policy that prohibits handheld and hands-free cell phone use by all employees while driving is not only a best safety practice but also contributes to the bottom line."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimate on-the-job crashes cost employers more than $24,500 per property damage crash. The cost rises to $150,000 per injury and to as much as $3.6 million per fatality.

NSC also released updates to its Cell Phone Policy Kit and cognitive distraction white paper, "Understanding the Distracted Brain: Why driving while using hands-free devices is risky behavior." All materials are free and help employers understand the dangers of cell phone distracted driving, the need for cell phone policies and what a comprehensive cell phone policy should include.

About the National Safety Council

Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, the National Safety Council (nsc.org) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact -- distracted driving, teen driving, workplace safety and safety beyond the workplace.

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