Nearly eight in 10 consumers talk on the phone while driving, and more than 30 percent admit to having been in a near-miss crash because they were distracted, according to a survey by The Travelers Companies, Inc.

And although distracted driving poses potential liability risks for companies, many expect employees to remain connected and do little to discourage such behaviors behind the wheel.

“It's startling to see that drivers continue to engage in potentially life-threatening habits,” said Chris Hayes, second vice president of transportation for risk control at Travelers. “Whether driving for work or on personal time, many drivers overlook risks that make our roads more dangerous for all of us.”

The Travelers survey identified common distractions when behind the wheel, including:

  • Typing a text or email (44 percent);
  • Using social media (23 percent);
  • Recording videos or taking photos (22 percent); and
  • Shopping online (15 percent).

Travelers found that a small yet alarming number of drivers said it would be difficult to stop such behaviors. Thirteen percent said they would find it very difficult to stop reading texts or emails while driving, and 11 percent said it would be difficult to stop typing texts or emails while driving. In addition, five percent of respondents said they would find it very difficult to stop shopping online while driving.

Although many smartphones have settings to help drivers stay focused, most drivers do not use these features. Consistent with last year's survey, only 12 percent of consumers set their phones to Do Not Disturb while driving. In fact, of those respondents who said that they do not activate the Do Not Disturb feature, 41 percent actively choose not to turn it on, while others simply forget to turn it on or find it inconvenient to do so (35 percent).

The survey suggested that many workplaces do not consider the full consequences of distracted driving and do not do enough to curb dangerous driving behavior.

Work-related crashes can result in significant costs, including health care payments and losses in productivity. According to the National Safety Council, the average economic cost of a crash is more than $1 million per death and more than $78,000 per nonfatal disabling injury. However, 12 percent of executives surveyed by Travelers said that they do not worry about the liability associated with a crash caused by a distracted employee, and most (74 percent) said that they do not consider distracted driving to be of great concern.

The connected culture and mounting workplace expectations may be contributing to distracted driving. While most businesses report being at least somewhat concerned about employees' use of mobile devices on the road, an overwhelming majority (87 percent) of executives said that they expect workers to be sometimes or frequently reachable outside of the office. Many employees feel this pressure, as 20 percent of respondents who admit to replying to work-related messages while driving said they do so because they worry about upsetting their boss. Further, nearly half of those same respondents said they always need to be available or do not want to miss a work-related emergency. Lastly, 17 percent said drive time is when they get a lot of work done.

“The pressure to always be online and connected can be deadly,” added Mr. Hayes. “Even though distraction-related crashes occur frequently, some companies continue to expect constant connectivity without considering what's at stake.”

Three out of four workplaces have implemented distracted driving policies to help address such issues. However, just 18 percent of businesses said that they advise employees to set their phones to Do Not Disturb before driving, and only 40 percent reported knowing of an employee who was disciplined for not complying with company policy.

Warding off digital addiction requires more than employer policies. According to the survey, a conversation about driving behavior can make a difference. Sixteen percent of consumers say they rarely or never speak up while in a car with a distracted driver, yet more than half said they would likely cease distracted driving behaviors if they were asked to do so.

Some conversations about distracted driving are already happening: Two-thirds of parents said that they have spoken to their children about distracted driving, and the same amount of companies said they have an employee education program about the dangers of distracted driving and how to avoid it.

Victoria Spears

Victoria Spears

Victoria Prussen Spears is senior vice president of Meyerowitz Communications Inc., a law firm marketing communications consulting company. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Brooklyn Law School, Ms. Spears was an attorney at a leading New York City law firm before joining Meyerowitz Communications. She may be contacted at [email protected].

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