We’ve all been there. The phone rings in the car. You have a Bluetooth device and feel good about being hands-free so you answer it. And talk on the phone until we arrive at your destination, yet can’t fully recollect each turn took to get there. Or, you’re running late to a really important meeting so you text your partner while you’re not going too fast. And when they text you back, you check it, just to make sure the meeting is still on.
Almost 20 percent of car accidents are a result of a distracted driver. I didn’t say they were due to the driver holding a phone to their ear. Officials believe that number is low and will only increase as reporting becomes more accurate.
Distracted driving relates to any interaction with your phone (lipstick or food, too) while driving a motor vehicle, so hands-free doesn’t mean distraction-free, safe driving. This month, we’re joining the National Safety Council and honoring Distracted Driving Awareness month, and our Content Strategy team worked with three of our outstanding course providers to partner with us to offer three different Distracted Driving courses free through April 30, 2015.
Free Distracted Driving Courses
These three OpenSesame courses are available complimentary for our customers, their employees, and anyone else who wants to educate themselves on staying safe and distraction-free while driving. You can learn about these free Distracted Driving courses, and sign up here to take advantage of this offer.
Employers Take Action
Too many companies have witnessed the unfortunate consequences when their employed drivers are distracted on the road. Many organizations across the world are implementing programs to keep their employees, and everyone on the highway, safer. Whether they’re driving a two-ton car to work, a light-weight truck with your tools and materials needed for a job site, or a semi-truck, distractions can cost lives and money.
The National Safety Council indicates that the costs of ignoring this opportunity to educate employees and encourage them to stay distraction-free while driving are tremendous:
From the National Safety Council’s “Driving Down Distraction.”
Each day in America, nine people are killed and more than 1,060 people are injured in accidents caused by distracted drivers. Transportation-related fatalities are the number one cause of death in the American workforce, while at the same time, there are a growing number of reasons to be distracted with our digital devices.
Employer Programs to Curb Distracted Driving
Through OpenSesame’s free Distracted Driving courses, employees will learn why distracted driving is dangerous, and more importantly, safety tips for keeping themselves and others free of incidents. The courses are quick and easy to watch at home or work, and pack a lot of information to share with your workforce. Many companies are taking an additional step with internal campaigns asking employees to pledge that they’ll “just drive” or have a “no phone” zone in the driver’s seat. These internal campaigns work well to raise awareness on the issue, and get people to simply think twice before they swipe their device while driving.
We hope that you’ll take advantage of these free courses as step one in developing a Safe Driving Program in your company. You can learn more about additional opportunities and find new ideas at National Safety Council’s website.