Distracted driving, and especially driving while using hand-held devices, can present a serious and potentially deadly danger. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. And since the leading cause of worker fatalities is motor vehicle crashes, texting while driving presents a major emerging workplace hazard.

Education Campaign

In an effort to combat worker fatalities in motor vehicle crashes, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced an education campaign calling on employers to prevent work-related distracted driving with a focus on prohibiting texting while driving.

Communication Efforts

OSHA’s education outreach includes a new webpage designed for workers whose workplaces are cars, vans and trucks, as well as their employers. It informs workers of their rights and employers of their responsibility to provide safe workplaces, which includes offering best practices and company policies on achieving safe workplaces in motor vehicles. More information and updates are available at www.osha.gov/distracted-driving.

Request to Employers

In an open letter to employers, OSHA requests that employers evaluate their policies and practices to best protect workers from the danger of distracted driving. The letter reminds employers of their legal obligation to prohibit dangerous workplace practices, including texting while driving. It also asks them to remove incentives that might motivate employees to text behind the wheel.

OSHA’s Stance

State Laws

Texting while driving has become a prominent hazard, receiving attention from lawmakers in most states. In fact, 30 states now ban text messaging for all drivers, and President Barack Obama signed an executive order prohibiting texting while driving for federal employees.

OSHA’s Role

Employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees – and this includes prohibiting hazardous behavior like texting while driving. OSHA’s role is to ensure these safe conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and providing training, education and assistance.

Click here to read about Wisconsin's texting ban and here for cellphone laws by state.

© 2011 Zywave, Inc. This publication is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be exhaustive nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as compliance or legal advice.