Motor Vehicle Safety

Distracted driving occurs when a vehicle driver takes their eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, or mind off the task of driving safely. Any non-driving activity the driver engages in is a potential distraction and increases their risk of being involved in a motor vehicle collision. Employees in many industries and occupations spend all or part of their workday on the road.

Distractions fall into three primary categories: visual, manual, and cognitive.

Visual distractions occur when the driver diverts their vision away from their direction of travel. Visual distractions may include looking at a cell phone, looking at objects or individuals on or near the road, or looking at a Global Positioning System (GPS) navigator for directions.

Manual distractions occur when the driver takes one or both hands off the wheel. Common examples of manual distractions include reaching for items in the vehicle, sending a text message, operating the vehicle entertainment system, applying cosmetics, and eating or drinking. Cognitive distractions occur when the driver takes their mind off the task of driving. Cognitive distractions include when a driver is thinking about which route to take, having a discussion with a passenger, or talking on the phone.

There is a belief that people are capable of “multi-tasking” well. This is a myth. The human brain has a limited capacity for attention and therefore “multi-tasking” gives neither task the full attention necessary. Any non-driving task performed while behind the wheel reduces the amount of attention available to the driver for detecting and reacting to potential dangers on the road. The less attention that is given to driving, the greater the chance the driver will be involved in a collision. A worker who is driving a motor vehicle while negotiating a complex or contentious business deal over the phone at the same time is giving neither task the attention it deserves.

Texting while driving is especially dangerous because it combines all three types of distractions – the driver’s eyes are off the road when looking at the cell phone, their hand is off the wheel to type the text, and their mind is on the content of the text and not on driving.

Drowsy driving or fatigued driving is another extension of distracted driving and is comparable to impaired driving. Drowsy driving occurs when a person operates a motor vehicle when too fatigued or sleepy to stay alert, making the driver less aware of their surroundings. After 17 consecutive hours awake, impairment is estimated to be equivalent to having a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .05 and after 24 hours awake, impairment is estimated to be equivalent to a BAC of .10.¹ A survey of the U.S. workforce found that approximately 37% of workers get less than the recommended minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night which may contribute to their drowsiness.²

Driver fatigue has been associated with being awake for too many consecutive hours, not getting enough sleep over multiple days, monotonous tasks or long periods of inactivity, and health factors such as sleep disorders or medications that cause drowsiness. Fatigue impairs a driver’s ability to safely drive a vehicle by causing the driver to nod off; react more slowly to changing road conditions, other drivers, or pedestrians; make poor driving decisions; drift from their travel lane; lose sense of what’s going on in their periphery; experience brief sleep episodes lasting from a fraction of a second up to 30 seconds; and forget the last few miles driven.

While there are regulations that set maximum numbers of driving and work hours specifically for driving vehicles that require a commercial driver’s license, workers in many other jobs are at risk of driver fatigue. It is incumbent upon employers and drivers to recognize and prevent excessive driving and work hours that contribute to drowsy driving.

Properly set speed limits provide a safe, consistent, and reasonable speed to protect drivers, roadway workers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Speed limits frame expectations for drivers and other roadway users. To determine speed limits, the amount of vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic is considered. Also considered are the physical conditions of the road such as sidewalks, hills, curves, lanes, driveways, intersections, roadway surfaces and traffic controls. To learn more about how roadway speed limits are determined, visit the U.S. Department of Transportation’s website on Speed Limit Basics.

Speeding is a major factor in traffic deaths and injuries. Driving over the posted speed limit reduces the amount of time a driver has to react to or avoid a crash, increases the vehicle’s stopping distance, and reduces the ability of road safety structures (guardrails, impact attenuators, etc.) and vehicle safety features (air bags, crash resistance, etc.,) to adequately protect vehicle occupants in a crash. The laws of physics show that if a vehicle’s speed is doubled, the force of impact is four times greater during a collision. This increased force comes with an increased risk of injury or death to the vehicle occupants and the occupants of any other vehicle the speeding vehicle collides with.

Speeding includes not only exceeding posted speed limits but also driving too fast for conditions. While driving at the posted speed limit on a dry road may be considered safe, driving at that same speed when the road is wet or covered with snow or ice is considered unsafe.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines aggressive driving as “The operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger other persons or property” which can include a number of different moving traffic offenses.¹ Although the tendency is to focus on speeding, all forms of aggressive driving threaten safety on the roadways. Aggressive driving includes failure to yield to other drivers and pedestrians, failure to use turn signals; making extra, unnecessary lane changes; tailgating other drivers; making sudden stops, accelerations, or turns; and ignoring traffic controls.

Failure to yield refers to not ceding the right-of-way to oncoming traffic or pedestrians. Signs indicate which drivers or pedestrians have the right-of-way and other road users expect drivers to follow them. Drivers with the right-of-way may not see the driver failing to yield in time to brake and avoid them. Pedestrians might enter a crosswalk in anticipation of drivers stopping. If drivers don’t obey the signs, they could cause or contribute to a crash.

Some drivers feel that using their turn signals is unnecessary, but this is extremely dangerous. Signaling is an important cue that helps other drivers anticipate what the turning vehicle is about to do. If another vehicle is in the turning vehicle’s blind spot and the driver fails to signal a lane change, the vehicle in the blind spot may not notice the change until it’s too late to avoid a collision. Every lane change increases the risk of a crash. When drivers weave from lane to lane, passing other cars, they jeopardize the safety of everyone else on the road.

Tailgating on the roadway refers to following another vehicle too closely and is often the cause of bumper-to-bumper crashes. If the front vehicle stops suddenly, a driver may not have enough time to react and avoid a collision. It’s important to maintain a minimum safe following distance for the speed that a vehicle is traveling and the current road conditions. When a vehicle is traveling at higher speeds or when road conditions deteriorate, a greater following distance is necessary.

Any sudden speed or direction changes can cause a crash. Other drivers may not be able to react to a sudden change in time to avoid a collision. A sudden stop might cause the driver behind the stopping vehicle to crash into the back of it. Accelerating suddenly might cause a vehicle attempting a pass to collide with oncoming traffic.

All traffic control signs, including posted speed limits, are there to keep drivers safe. They take many safety factors into consideration, including visibility, stopping distances and the possible presence of pedestrians. Running red lights, ignoring crosswalks, and passing in no-passing zones are just a few examples of ways aggressive drivers disregard traffic controls. Any of these behaviors could lead to deaths and injuries.

Despite decades of public information campaigns, laws, policies, and efforts of government and non-government organizations, more than half of the people who die in vehicle crashes annually were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

The benefits of buckling up are clear: it helps keep a driver or vehicle occupant safe and securely inside a vehicle and reduces serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about half.

The consequences of not wearing, or improperly wearing, a seat belt are also clear. Not buckling up can result in being ejected from the vehicle in a crash which is almost always deadly. Air bags are not enough to protect drivers and occupants. Air bags are designed to work with a seat belt and not as an alternative to one. The force of a deploying air bag can seriously injure or even kill vehicle occupants if they are not buckled up.

Seat belts can also be considered protection against the impaired, aggressive, and distracted drivers previously discussed.

Even the most cautious drivers are at risk of injury or death if driving an unsafe vehicle. Vehicle maintenance programs help prevent deaths and injuries caused by unsafe vehicles. In addition, maintenance programs help ensure business continuity and preserve the capital investment of work vehicles and equipment.

All vehicles should be maintained in accordance with the vehicle manufacturers’ specifications. Vehicle maintenance includes not only regular maintenance by certified mechanics but also driver pre- and post-trip vehicle inspections. Important areas that should always be inspected pre-trip include:

• Brakes/brake systems
• Tires – including air pressure
• Wheels, fasteners, and hubs
• Lights and signals
• Steering functions
• Fuel and exhaust system
• Fluid levels
• Emergency equipment and safety devices
• Cargo securement – if applicable
• Flatbed trailer fall protection systems – if applicable

All vehicle deficiencies that are discovered should be documented and defective vehicles should be promptly repaired before placing the vehicle back into service.

When purchasing new company vehicles, employers should consider vehicles with high safety ratings as well as safety features such as lane departure warning systems, collision warning systems, rear-facing cameras, and adaptive cruise control.

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of worker injuries and death.¹ Driver safety training is a protective measure against crashes and helps protect drivers and other people on the road, resulting in fewer lives lost and reduced lost time on the job.

Driver safety training is included in any commercial driver’s license (CDL) training program. However, drivers operating trucks weighing less than 26,000 are not required to obtain a CDL. Additionally, a truck driver without a CDL may also tow a single-axle trailer with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of up to 10,000 pounds. These are substantially larger vehicles than the average driver is accustomed to operating and therefore potentially hazardous, and driver safety training can be beneficial even if not required.

For drivers that are new to an organization and whose primary job responsibilities are driving on public roadways, a structured drivers training program should be in place. Also, anytime new vehicles are introduced into the fleet, drivers training specific to the new vehicles should be conducted. Additionally, driver refresher training should be conducted at regular intervals. Driver safety training is a continuous process and keeps drivers from becoming complacent when it comes to safety.

Driver’s training should include components such as:

1. Vehicle characteristics, capabilities, and limitations
2. Vehicle instruments, controls, and safety components
3. Vehicle preventative maintenance checks and services
4. Company driving policies and procedures – seat belts, distractions (including drowsy and impaired driving), aggressive driving and speeding
5. Defensive Driving
6. Vehicle Backing

For drivers who drive occasionally for work in their privately owned vehicle (POV), a less structured approach may be sufficient. Driver’s training programs should be scalable to meet the organization’s needs.