Behind the Wheel at Work

Cognitive distractions take your mind off driving. According to Dr. David Strayer, an expert on distracted driving, cognitive distraction occurs “when attention is withdrawn from the processing of information necessary for the safe operation of a motor vehicle.”[1] Cognitive distractions can be triggered by people, objects, or events – or they can simply be random thoughts. Examples include arguing with a passenger, thinking about your next appointment, and talking on the phone – even if it’s hands-free. Hands-free phones are just as distracting as handheld phones.

• Our brains have a limited capacity for attention. Any non-driving task we perform while behind the wheel reduces the amount of attention available to us for detecting and reacting to potential hazards on the road. The less attention we give to driving, the greater the chance we will be involved in a crash. [2]
• We may think we’re successfully multitasking while driving and using a cell phone, but that’s not the case. In fact, we’re not performing any task to our full ability. Our brains are switching back and forth between tasks, and this doesn’t happen immediately. Although this switch may take only fractions of a second, it causes delays in reaction and braking which can lead to crashes. After the brakes are applied, a vehicle traveling 40 mph goes another 120 feet – about 8 car lengths. If your brain is in the process of switching tasks when you need to react quickly, your vehicle will travel several additional car lengths before it stops. [2]
• Cognitive distraction can also impair your vision of the road and surrounding areas. Research has shown that drivers who are using cell phones may be looking at but failing to see up to 50% of the information in their driving environment. Usually, the driver’s “field of view” is narrowed to what is directly in front of them. As a result, the missing 50% of information may include a stop sign, a stopped vehicle, or a child. [2]

• A national study of over 3,500 U.S. drivers’ actual on-the-road behaviors over 3 years found that at any given time, 52% of drivers were distracted in some way. In 68% of the crashes that led to injury or property damage, some type of distraction was present.[3]
• A review of 342 studies found overwhelming evidence that all kinds of distraction impair driving ability. This review also found that the use of a hands-free phone was just as likely to lead to impaired driving ability as the use of a handheld phone. In other words, although hands-free phones presumably reduce both manual and visual distraction, cognitive distraction remains and leads to serious impairment.[4]
• A NIOSH study reported that across 70 companies, having a full ban on the use of mobile equipment while driving was significantly associated with a lower percentage of fleet vehicles being involved in a collision.[5]
• Research shows that different types of non-driving activities are associated with different levels of cognitive distraction:
  • Some activities, such as listening to the radio or an audiobook, are not very distracting.
  • Other activities, such as talking with a passenger or talking on a handheld or hands-free cell phone, are associated with moderate levels of cognitive distraction.
  • Using a speech-to-text system to send and receive text or e-mail messages creates a relatively high level of cognitive distraction. The data suggest that a rush to use voice-based interactions in the vehicle may have unintended consequences that adversely affect traffic safety.[1]

Results from research can be used to craft science-based policies to prevent cognitive distraction while driving. Employers can establish and implement a distracted driving policy that specifically prohibits the use of both handheld and hands-free cell phones for texting, talking, placing, or answering calls while the vehicle is in operation. Keep reading for more steps to develop a full distracted driving policy.

Question the need for travel. In recent months, business travel has decreased significantly, and many people are working from home. As economic activity resumes, companies can consider whether business needs can be met if employees continue to drive less. Some workers, such as truck drivers and first responders, need to commute to their worksite or be on the road during the workday. However, it’s possible that work from home will become the norm for some types of jobs and that employers will continue to take advantage of the capacity for virtual work.

Reduce risks associated with necessary travel by combining trips, combining loads, and identifying the shortest safe routes.

• Fewer crashes and injuries because of fewer miles being driven
• Lower fleet operating costs
• Reduced environmental impacts of driving
• Less time spent driving and more time engaged in work tasks
• Less burden on the healthcare system from fewer crash-related injuries

Distracted driving and speeding continue to put workers at risk.

Distracted driving: Today, many drivers are coping with new sources of cognitive distraction that can divert their attention from their primary job of driving. We worry about keeping our families safe and healthy, we miss the family and friends we can’t see right now, and we wonder whether our lives will ever go back to normal. Any of these concerns can pre-occupy us while we’re driving, so it’s even more important to eliminate other potential sources of distraction. Employers should remind workers who drive to avoid distractions and follow the company’s policies on distracted driving.

Speeding: A study from California found that after stay-at-home measures were put in place, road traffic crashes and fatalities decreased by 50%. This study also compared average speeds on a sample of roads to average speeds at the same time last year. Average speeds on a number of these roads, especially on interstates and freeways, were significantly higher this year. This is probably the result of decreased congestion due to significantly less traffic on these roads. It’s important for employers to stress that workers must drive within the speed limit. Research consistently links higher speeds to more severe crashes and more deaths.[6]