Cell Phone Use When Driving Exposes Corporations to New Universe of Risk

Online, August 7, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Cell phone use when driving puts everyone in serious danger, including corporations and businesses that don't address the serious risk and liability created by employee cell phone use when driving on-the-job.

To raise awareness on the risks of employee cell phone use when driving, drivers' safety organization Drive by Example (www.drivebyexample.com) has announced the launch of the Drive by Example Corporate Protection Program, a national driver safety initiative.

Cell phone use when driving on-the-job will be addressed by the new employee training and education program, which is designed to be easily integrated by human resource managers as an enhancement to existing corporate wellness programs.

"Cell phone use when driving on-the-job has played a significant role in judgments against corporations whose employees killed or injured other drivers and/or their passengers while using cell phones," said distracted driving attorney and founder of Drive by Example, Douglas Horn. "This has forced companies to come to terms with the new universe of risk created by cell phone use when driving on-the-job. To mitigate this new universe of risk, we have developed and implemented a comprehensive program, which enables businesses and corporations to effortlessly inject driver safety into their corporate wellness environment in keeping with their use of best practices."

In an effort to limit cell phone use when driving on-the-job, as well as its associated risk and liability, Horn said that many companies have proactively enacted policies, procedures and protocols aimed at governing employee cell phone use when driving, but such policies, although well-intentioned, often do not produce the desired results.

"Issuing a policy to regulate employee cell phone use when driving but then failing to reinforce that policy with a comprehensive and sustained driver safety program not only will likely prove ineffective in changing employee behavior on the roadway, it may actually heighten corporate liability should a distracted employee cause an accident," Horn said. "In such cases the company clearly is recognizing that employee cell phone use when driving on-the-job is a problem, but chooses to not sufficiently implement the policy prohibiting cell phone use while driving."

Horn said the Drive by Example program is designed to interact with employees through Lunch 'n Learn programs, email alerts and by presence at corporate events, including company picnics and fairs.

"The Drive by Example message is branded and reinforced on an ongoing basis through signage and displays, internal and external corporate communications, and a variety of other awareness initiatives," Horn said.

Horn said the Drive by Example Corporate Protection Program offers the flexibility necessary to effectively assist companies of any type or size, from locally-based businesses with a single office, to national enterprises with sales, delivery and service personnel in all 50 states.

"Our mission is to minimize employee accidents, keep driving safety high on the business or corporation's priority list, and to make the existing company cell phone policies more effective," Horn said.

Horn said despite company policies and new state and federal laws, the demand for ever-increasing business productivity will act as a continual temptation for employees to multitask and engage in cell phone use when driving.

"A comprehensive drivers' education program, such as the one developed by Drive by Example, is a smart way for any business to enhance its corporate wellness objectives, while effectively limiting the risks and liabilities created by employee cell phone use when driving."

For more information about the Drive by Example Corporate Protection Program, please contact Douglas R. Horn or Daren Moon at 816-795-7500.

ABOUT DRIVE BY EXAMPLE
www.drivebyexample.com

Drive by Example is a drivers' safety organization dedicated to promoting driver safety awareness, integrating driver safety into the corporate and business environment and keeping driver safety high on the public agenda.

Founded by distracted driving expert Douglas R. Horn, Drive by Example's primary objective is to advance driver safety by encouraging drivers to model the habits and behaviors that protect themselves, their passengers and others on the roadway.

Through Drive by Example, Horn develops and helps implement driver safety initiatives for a variety of corporations and other organizations, including schools, parent groups, safety advocates and community leaders.