Hang Up Your Cell Phone and Drive <br> (a policy we can all live with)
Posted on Fri, Aug 13, 2010 @ 10:18 AM
Anytime you get two “drivers” together the talk always seems to turn to bonehead things “4-wheelers” have done. To a man we all recognize the mistakes and shortcomings of other drivers. To a man however we all feel that we don’t make those same mistakes and we don’t have the shortcomings other drivers do.
Cell phone use is perhaps the most striking example. We all recognize distracted driving in other drivers who hold up a lane of traffic for instance because they’re so engrossed in a cell phone conversation they don’t realize they’re driving 10-15 MPH below the speed limit. Yet we swear we can drive and talk on a cell phone without being affected.
It’s time we stopped kidding ourselves. We are no different than the 4-wheelers and other drivers we readily criticize. You don’t get better at it by doing it more often.
Talking on a cell phone while driving (or doing anything else for that matter) results in distracted driving. There is no such thing as “multi-tasking”. Your brain switches back and forth between driving tasks (scanning mirrors and blind spots, looking for hazards ahead, etc.) and the conversation. The more intense or involved the conversation, the less time your brain spends on driving tasks. Dozens of studies show this. You are not the exception to the rule.
Driving a big truck (or any vehicle for that matter) while holding a cell phone is not only dangerous, it is a criminal violation in most states. The consequences if you needed to shift or take evasive action in an emergency would be catastrophic.
Driving while using a hands-free device is little better. Your brain is still distracted by the conversation. Plaintiff attorneys know this. They have access to all the studies I mentioned above. If you are involved in an accident they will subpoena your cell phone records. They will subpoena our Driver Handbook. They will seek punitive damages for failing to comply with our cell phone policy.
The policy of Area Transportation is clear. No cell phone conversations while driving vehicles displaying Area door signs. Period! If you need to take a brief emergency or urgent call that’s fine. If you need to carry on a conversation tell the caller you will call them back when you’ve found a safe place to park. This policy protects you as well as the people with whom we share the roads. This policy protects your CDL, your livelihood and your assets if you comply with it.
Don’t kid yourself. You are not better than all those other drivers. Your brain is not better than all the study participants. Comply with the policy. Don’t learn by accident that distracted driving affects you just like every other driver on the road.
Written by Kevin Mullen: Director, Safety- ADS Logistics