This is a topic we’ve covered before, but it bears repeating. Distracted driving—whether it’s texting, calling, emailing, eating, smoking, or any other action that takes your eyes off the road or your hands off the steering wheel—is a very dangerous activity and is becoming more and more prevalent in recent years due to increased cell phone usage. It may not seem like a big deal to take a quick glance at your phone to check an email or respond to a text, but every time you do so you are greatly increasing your chances of getting into an accident, injuring yourself and possibly others.
Keep in mind that using a hands-free device (an earpiece, dashboard system, speakerphone, or voice-to-text) is not substantially safer than hand-held use. The brain can quickly toggle between tasks but CANNOT do two things at the same time. The area of the brain that processes moving images decreases by up to 1/3 when listening or talking on a phone.
If you operate a company vehicle, you should already be aware of our distracted driving policy and the disciplinary action plan for those observed driving distracted. Remember, our policy is in place for your safety. Make a conscious effort to focus on the road ahead, and don’t let anything distract you. A fraction of a second could mean the difference between life and death. If you have any questions or would like more information on this, please don’t hesitate to contact me at dsanders@ruppertcompanies.com.