It might not come as a surprise that most Americans admit to taking phone calls and reading texts while driving. What is surprising is that many are doing so because they are feeling work-related pressures to engage in the risky behavior, according to The Travelers Companies, Inc.
Travelers reported that 86% of business managers expect employees to respond to work-related communications outside of office hours at least some of the time, and one-third want workers to answer or participate in work calls while they are driving.
Many employees are simply capitulating to these demands, according to Travelers, which found 42% of drivers take work calls, texts and emails while behind the wheel. More than 40% of respondents said they do so because it might be a “work emergency,” while 39% feel they always need to be available. Slightly less than 20% said their bosses would be upset it they didn’t answer.
A different survey from Selective Insurance and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety found that 86% of Americans that drive as part of their job have used a mobile device while behind the wheel for work in the past three months. For comparison, just 70% of all licensed motorists reported using a mobile device for personal reasons while driving during the past 90 days.
“On top of a surprisingly high number of employees who drive for work using a mobile device while driving for work, almost a third (29%) participated in a video call while driving,” Brenda Hall, executive vice president, commercial lines chief operating officer at Selective, said in a release. “With more drivers back on the roads and the increasing popularity of virtual work and video calls, it’s more important than ever that employers develop and enforce distracted driving policies to keep employees and the general public safe on the roads.”
The Selective Insurance survey also revealed that nearly 1 in 3 Americans have either been in a crash or knew someone who was in an accident involving distracted driving with a mobile device.
“The number of people killed in crashes involving distracted driving exceeded 3,000 in the U.S. in 2020. More than 420,000 people were injured in 2019, the most recent year for which data is available,” Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, said in a release. “The public understands this hazard and strongly supports numerous strategies to prevent distraction and its impacts, especially requiring advanced vehicle safety technologies in all new vehicles.”
When it comes to curbing instances of distracted driving involving mobile devices, nearly 60% of Americans said requiring advanced safety technologies as standard in all new vehicles would be an effective measure. A similar amount (57%) said higher penalties and traffic fines would curb distracted driving habits. Around half wanted state laws to address mobile device use while driving and 29% believe questions regarding the dangers of distracted driving should be included on driver’s license tests.
