Driving behavioural change

On a crisp autumn morning, a majestic sunrise greeted early-morning drivers in north-western Queensland. One inspired commuter thought it was an opportunity to good to be missed, snapping a selfie and posting it on social media — all from behind the wheel. It was the last update she ever posted.  

This driver combined the risk of negotiating a two-lane highway frequently used by heavy vehicles with the increased risk of using her mobile phone while driving. The net result — tragically for herself, her family, first responders and others who use that road — is that she ‘parked’ her vehicle underneath a road train full of fuel. She paid the ultimate price for not knowing, or choosing to ignore, the risks.

The incident proved the catalyst for a group of like-minded organisations — who realised something had to be done to change the conversation around the use of mobile phones in vehicles — to come together to tackle the issue. The first outcome is the 'Mobile Phone Use in Vehicles Policy Guide’, which was launched in August after 12 months of development as part of a wider ‘Safer Use of Mobiles in Vehicles’ (SUMV) campaign.

The work has been done

Aimed at starting a conversation around the dangers of using mobile phones while driving, the guide provides practical, concrete advice to limit risk on the road and guidance for organisations to devise a safer use policy around the risks of mobile phone use while driving. The ultimate objective is to increase awareness of the risks of using mobile phones while driving and encourage safer practices.

Drivers need to be aware of the dangers and consequences of distraction and organisations need to change their thinking to protect themselves and their people. The guide outlines how organisations can manage the risk of mobile phone distraction in vehicles by developing and successfully implementing a policy tailored to their business environment and workers’ needs.

It’s well understood that Australian business leaders have a responsibility to provide their staff with a safe workplace, but many don’t realise the power they hold in driving behavioural change to create safer roads for everyone. Vehicles represent the greatest risk to workers, with two thirds of all work-related fatalities involving a vehicle. Clearly, we can do more as a business community.

Does it really matter?

Driving is most likely the most dangerous thing most of us do each day. There is a large body of road safety evidence that shows mobile phones can be a distraction and divert a driver’s attention away from the road. And the research is clear: taking your eyes off the road poses the most dangerous and greatest risk when driving a vehicle. Glancing away from the road for more than two seconds, for example, doubles your odds of having a crash or near-crash.

Texting increases the risk by around six times; locating and reaching for a mobile phone makes your four times more likely to have an incident; and the simple act of dialling is associated with a 12 times increase in risk. Even when used legally, mobile phones can still increase crash risk.

Practical advice, not pie in the sky

As well as aiming to educate the motoring public about the risks, the guide focuses on providing practical information, including a policy template and example surveys to help organisations implement a Mobiles Phone Use in Vehicles Policy.

In developing the guide, the group also recognised banning mobile phone use while driving was not practical and could have unintended consequences. While not advocating for use of mobile phones in vehicles, SUMV members realised bans may increase risky driver behaviour, like drivers trying to hide their phone in their lap, and inconvenience, such as making it more difficult to notify an employee of a cancelled meeting.

In consulting industry leaders, the group came up with some key components that should be outlined in any policy, including leadership, education, training, enforcement, and mobile phone and vehicle purchase decisions.

It also agreed on a set of practical, commonsense principles as a recommended minimum level for a good practice mobile phone use policy:

• Always keep your eyes on the road.
• Never text, write or read while driving.
• Buy, install and use a cradle for your phone.
• Use your smartphone and the car’s features, such as Bluetooth and hands-free.
• Don’t automatically answer your phone; consider the road and traffic conditions.
• Ensure the caller knows you are driving.
• If you pull over for a call, ensure it is safe for you and other road users.

Are you an unwitting contributor?

It is also important and helpful to understand how existing procedures and technologies are used by workers, making a ‘baseline’ survey a good starting point in introducing a mobile phone use policy. Surveying management may also uncover whether the organisation’s own expectations unwittingly contribute to the unsafe use of mobiles by workers in vehicles.

The SUMV recognised that workplace blanket bans on mobile phone use while driving were not always practical and changing the conversation to education and practical advice was essential in empowering workers to use their devices legally and responsibly when they feel it is safe to do so.

We are not advocating for the use of mobile phones in vehicles, but that drivers and organisations need to be informed and understand the risks. It’s critical that there are clear processes in place to ensure the demands of a business’s operations do not encourage employees to use mobile phones illegally or in an unsafe manner. We think that’s an achievable aim, and businesses operating in any industry across Australian can take a leadership role in making the roads safer for all of us.

For more information on safer mobile phone use in vehicles, including resources and guidance on policy development for business, visit www.sumv.com.au.

The SUMV Working Group is led by the National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP) in conjunction with supporting partners the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB Group), Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Australasian Fleet Management Association (AfMA), brand communications agency Hard Edge, Futureye, IAG, RACV, Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA), Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.

Image credit: ©Freeimages.com/kristian stokholm