Keeping drivers safe on the road isn’t simply lecturing employees or even enforcing the laws that make texting or other cellphone use illegal. There’s much more to it, and regular reminders about distracted driving can ensure you, your drivers and other motorists are safe. 

John Conley, past president of the National Tank Truck Carriers association, says the cellphone is a great tool but it also can be the source of potentially dangerous distractions. Companies sometimes combat the problem of distracted driving by working with families of their employees. The program educates family members about the impact and distraction of phone calls and texts on their loved one — the driver. 

“You’re not just interrupting the driving,” Conley says, noting that family members can help minimize these potentially fatal distractions. 

The communication has interrupted the driver’s focus, even if he or she has pulled to the side the road. Depending on the conversation, the driver’s focus might shift from the road to concerns at home, and that can lead to seriously increased risk even after the call has ended or the text message has been read. For instance, a phone call from a spouse about a windstorm at home might have the driver worried about his family’s safety or potential property damage. 

Company dispatchers communicating with truck drivers also need to be aware of the distractions they could cause. While it’s not always an option when last-minute jobs arise, encourage dispatchers to make contact with drivers only when they know drivers are not on the road. In addition, other motorists’ cellphone use could mean problems for professional drivers. They must deal with the rest of the folks on the road who are using their cellphones to get directions or other information while driving. 

“It’s become a distraction dealing with other people’s distractions,” Conley says. 

Businesses also need to be clear in their distracted driving-related policies Conley says. If a company policy forbids texting of any kind, for example, there should be no exception. “Either enforce it with everybody or don’t have it at all,” he says. 

Beyond company policies, laws restrict communication behind the wheel, and violating them could mean monetary as well as driving penalties. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s new rules are part of ongoing efforts to end distracted driving. Interstate truck drivers who transport placardable quantities of hazards materials are prohibited from texting or using handheld mobile phones while driving. Besides texting, that means no email, Facebook, instant messaging. Simply put, drivers can’t manually enter text. It also means no reading texts. 

Federal rules allow the use of phones, but with restrictions. Voice-activated phones or devices that offer one-touch access voice commands may be used, as well as hands-free devices in close proximity to the driver. 

Even if federal rules allow certain activities such as using a hand-held phone drivers shouldn’t assume they’re safe when traveling across the country. States may enact their own, stricter laws, and rules can even differ between counties. Drivers should check specific local and state laws ahead of time — don’t assume a rule is the same statewide. Side-by-side cities within the same state could, for example, ban all texting or phone use while driving, regardless of whether it’s done with voice commands. 

Federal rule violations could mean fines of up to $2,750 and driver disqualification for multiple offenses. 

For more information, visit www.fmcsa.dot.gov/driver-safety/distracted-driving.