Traditionally, April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. When it comes to distracted driving, safety groups regularly focus on young drivers. I get it. We should focus much of our effort toward creating good safety habits among teen drivers.
I think we should also highlight a group too often overlooked in the conversation about distracted driving awareness — working adults who drive as part of their jobs. Delivery trucks. Construction trucks. Utility vehicles. Sales fleets. Every day, our roadways see a constant stream of work-related traffic. When you add distraction, the risk of needless injury or death dramatically increases.
Workplace Driving And The Problem Of Distraction
For almost three decades, I’ve represented people hurt in serious work-related accidents. When you think of serious workplace injuries, you may be thinking of dangerous construction sites, local production plants, or warehouses. You may not immediately think about driving. But, driving-related accidents are a leading cause of work-related fatalities. According to National Safety Council information, nearly 40% of all occupational deaths in the United States are transportation-related.
Distracted driving contributes significantly to these serious crashes. This is especially true for workers who are:
- Making deliveries
- Traveling between job sites
- Operating utility, construction, or repair vehicles
- Tow truck drivers
- Long-Haul drivers
- Working with tight schedules
Keep in mind many working drivers are pressured by their employers to move quickly. Many are also making deliveries in unfamiliar areas. Some are fatigued by long working hours. All of these issues compound the impact of distraction.
With the growth of infrastructure around Huntsville and Athens (the fastest growing areas in Alabama), traffic volumes, deliveries, and construction-related driving, have all increased. Because of this, the risk of distracted commercial drivers has become more and more pronounced.
Distracted Driving: A Costly Business Activity
Some employers don’t realize their potential liability when an employee crashes due to distraction. Other employers just don’t care. But, distracted driving among workers can put employers at tremendous liability risk. That’s why safe employers should be proactive in preventing employee distracted driving.
Common Driving Distractions for Workers
When most people think about distracted driving, they think about texting. I get it. Texting while driving is one of the most dangerous driving activities. And, it’s also one of the most common. For many teenagers, the cell phone is a constant presence in their hand. But, texting while driving is not the only dangerous distraction among working drivers. Common worker distractions also include:
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GPS and Map Devices
Think about the many delivery drivers on our roads. These drivers are likely to be unfamiliar with the house or business receiving the delivery. While unfamiliar with the location, they may also be on a tight time schedule. The driver may be watching or listening to a GPS device while trying to navigate their route
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Dispatchers and Dispatch Systems
Some companies maintain near-constant contact with their drivers via a dispatcher or dispatch system. Yet, talking back-and-forth with dispatch about times and routes while driving can create significant distraction. It can especially cause problems when a driver is trying to both talk to dispatch and navigate an unfamiliar area.
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Emails and Work Texts
For some drivers, work never stops. It’s a constant barrage of emails and texts. Every sender needs an immediate reply! Every email seems urgent! Some drivers feel the urge to maintain this constant contact, even while driving. But, it’s dangerous! Extremely dangerous! Taking your eyes and mind from the road to answer emails or texts is one of the most dangerous activities you can do. Pull over if you need to read or respond to work emails.
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Eating
Eating while driving is a serious distraction. Many workers on the road are pressured for time. So, they combine driving and eating to get the job done.
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Schedules
When I think about schedules and the pressure some employers place on their drivers to meet them, my thoughts often turn to a trucking crash case I had a few years ago. In that case, a trucker crashed into a family late one night on Interstate 20 in Alabama.
When I obtained the truck driver’s records, I learned several things. I learned the trucker suffered severe sleep apnea which can lead to fatigued driving. His company knew about the sleep apnea but helped him obtain medical certifications without needed care. I’ve previously written about the sometimes-fraudulent medical certification process for truckers.
I learned the same trucker had been involved in 5 earlier minor crashes which were all his fault and which all caused significant property damage.
Fortunately, nobody suffered injuries in those earlier crashes.
The upsetting part about these earlier crashes was this — despite 5 prior at-fault crashes, the employer never warned, counseled, disciplined, or coached the trucker to drive safer.
But on the one single occasion he was a few minutes late with a delivery, the same company issued a disciplinary warning that any further late delivery could result in termination.
In other words, as long as the driver was early, the company overlooked safety. I also think about a case I recently had in Huntsville where a dump truck slammed into another vehicle on Bob Wallace Avenue.
In this dump truck case, I learned the driver often worked 70+ hours a week rushing loads of gravel non-stop for hours on end just to maintain the constant schedule. Before taking the dump truck driver’s deposition, I mapped out all his daily deliveries for several weeks surrounding the crash.
It was impossible for him to make all these deliveries without speeding significantly.Some employers create huge highway dangers by putting their drivers in near-impossible schedule situations.
A Special Impact: The Problem Of Construction Zones
A couple years ago, I helped a local family after a devastating construction zone injury. A speeding driver on a work delivery crashed into a work zone in Madison, hitting one of the workers, and leaving him disabled from a Traumatic Brain Injury. This worker spent weeks in the ICU at Huntsville Hospital. His entire family took turns sitting and waiting. After his release and return home, his life (and the lives of everyone in his family) were forever changed.
Across northern Alabama, we see a tremendous number of work projects. With growth comes construction zones. Construction zones are places that require even greater attention. Workers. Equipment. Traffic signs. Altered routes. Just a momentary distraction to check a cell phone could lead to a dangerous and disabling crash.
Solutions For Workers And Employers To Make Our Roadways Safer
What can employers in northern Alabama do?
- Implement Safe Driving Policies
- Practice Driver Accountability
- Train Employees Regularly
- Use Safe Technology
- Allow Flexible Schedules
- Post Safe Driving Reminders
What can driving workers in northern Alabama do?
- Use “Do Not Disturb” Phone Features
- Pre-Load GPS Or Map Routes Before Driving
- Pull Over (if that email or text must be read or returned)
- Speak Up If Pressured (to drive too fast, drive too much, or respond while driving)
Injured in a Crash? Contact Our Lawyers Today
At the Blackwell Law Firm, we have represented people injured in car crashes for many years. We focus 100% of our work on helping personal injury victims so that we can constantly study and advocate for our clients. Based in Huntsville and Athens, our attorneys handle serious injury cases involving company vehicles, distracted driving, and employer negligence. We’re committed to working our clients’ cases for the maximum possible compensation. Outside the courtroom, we are also committed to advocating for improved safety and accountability on Alabama roads. Call us at (256) 261-1315 if you have a question. Our consultations are always free and confidential.
