''Err...hold the line a sec, I just pranged it!''
This week I received a press release from a large multinational company explaining they had decided to ban all their 4,000 UK and Ireland employees from using mobile phones while driving, including the use of hands-free kits. This came as a surprise knowing how popular such systems are, and made me wonder whether the electrical contractors driving the country’s roads using hands free kits should consider whether they are being as safe as they thought...
It doesn’t seem that long ago, maybe 15 years or so, that for the majority of us being outdoors meant being away from potential phone calls. Expensive brick-like car phones, pagers or CB radios were the extent of roaming communication technology. But now we have become accustomed to being contactable at all times, for some people the thought of spending even half an hour in a vehicle and not answering a call is almost too much to imagine!
There are obvious problems with using a hand-held mobile phone while driving and, quite rightly, to do so is now illegal with a £60 fixed penalty and 3 penalty points on your license (£2,500 and loss of license entitlement for drivers of goods vehicles). The argument against hands-free kits is that you are still impairing your level of concentration by conducting a conversation, even though your hands are not having to fiddle around pressing buttons.
My first reaction to this argument was that surely any conversation held while driving will impair your concentration, so does this mean that chatting to a passenger is considered dicing with death? Listening to a heated debate on the radio can also be quite distracting, so does that mean that turning on Talk Sport or Radio 4 is potentially more risky than listening to a stream of pop and inane banter on Radio 1 that consistently fails to engage the brain?
Many new vehicles are now fitted with Sat Nav systems which not only bleat out directions to you, but also require you to peer down at a 6in screen somewhere on the dashboard to see how far you have until the next turning. Naturally, this has to be done in between checks to the vehicle’s on board computer to make sure the engine is running at optimum fuel economy so you’re not filling up every 200 miles. Frankly, a modern car or van is often kitted out like an amusement arcade, so taking a phone call hardly seems much of an extra burden on your concentration.
But, as ever, there are statistics and new research to disprove this point of view. Direct Line and the Transport Research Laboratory carried out research that concluded using a hands free kit is more dangerous than driving while over the legal limit of alcohol. Stopping distances were significantly greater when using either hand-held or hands-free phones.
So, what to do? Well, there is already a law which covers people distracted by their hands-free phone – for failure to have control of the vehicle. But no-one can really criticise companies willing to take a standpoint of their own and outrule phone-use while driving altogether as it will, more than likely, improve safety for staff and the public. But driving today is so full of distractions, both in-car and from the proliferation of gantry information boards and ridiculous amount of road signage, that the best message can only be 'be careful'. Common sense and knowing yourself if you're easily distracted should dictate whether you choose to go hands-free or decide to turn your vehicle into an oasis of calm and switch the damn thing off for a while!
Is your company looking to ban phones in company vans and cars? Should there be an outright ban on them nationwide or are we just taking further steps to remove any responsibility from the individual? Let me know what you think about this contentious issue by emailing me at richard.scott@imlgroup.co.uk
Enjoy the newsletter,
Richard Scott
Editor
Your Comments:
Hi Richard,
You wrote: "Direct Line and the Transport Research Laboratory carried out research that concluded using a hands free kit is more dangerous than driving while over the legal limit of alcohol."
I absolutely agree with this, if the driver has a conversation with a passenger, then when the car approaches some kind of danger, the passenger is aware of it and can pause until the road is clear. The saleman's boss or customer on the phone will not be aware and may not be willing to hang on a moment. The driver is likely to be distracted and unable to change concentration to the road.
Regards
Rod
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Richard
Interesting to see your comments. As Corporate Communications Manager for the company which introduced the ban you refer to, 3M, I can tell you that our internal debates ran along similar lines.
Research has shown that passengers in cars are able to take account of road conditions and can pause their conversation when it is apparent that the driver needs to concentrate. That's not possible in a phone conversation.
Also, as a manufacturing company, if in a plant a practice was identified as increasing the risk of an accident by four times, we would naturally take steps to mitigate that risk. With the car being an extension of the workplace, the same process applies.
At 3M we take seriously our responsibilities to both our employees and the communities in which we operate - and when it comes to cars, it is not just our employees' heath and safety which is of concern - it is the well-being of other road users, too.
We believe we have taken a sensible approach to identifying and managing risk. And from the number enquiries we have had in recent days, many other companies are thinking along similar lines.
Best regards
John Klee
Corporate Communications Manager
3M United Kingdom plc
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Richard
I have had mobile phone car kits installed in my cars since 1994 and feel certain the research is correct; concentrating on business calls whilst driving is very distracting.
Right from the start I noticed that I missed motorway exits etc if on the phone. However, to go as far as a legal ban I believe may be excessive; for example, a brief call telling you the meeting you are going is postponed (thus reducing the number of miles you drive) may reduce the overall chances of any accident.
I believe a campaign along the line of the recent ‘domestic’ one, making the point to potential business callers that they should cut short calls postponing any substantive conversation until the person they are calling has stopped should be tried.
Regards
Ian Elliott
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Richard
The company I work for has had this policy in place for the last 4 years. Below is an extract from our staff handbook
Regards
John
******* Group policy is to categorically ban the use of mobile phones by drivers of ******* Group vehicles or staff driving on ******* Group business at any time in any country. This applies to phones supplied by ******** Group or personal phones.
Drivers should switch the phone to messages prior to commencing driving and check for the presence of messages after leaving the car.
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