Many companies encourage their employees to report any “near misses” they experience while driving. I hate the phrase “near miss”.  Doesn’t “near miss” mean they almost missed and therefore did hit? For that reason, I’m going to use “near collision” instead of “near miss”. By getting employees to report close calls, the belief is that identification and discussion of these incidents can help to improve driving performance and reduce future collision potential.

Unfortunately, it’s been my experience that when someone does open up about a near collision incident (and, in most cases, they won’t come forward on their own), it’s usually flavored with the employee’s perception that “there was nothing I could do about it; it was the other guy’s fault”.

This leads me to ponder two questions:

1. Are near-collisions a meaningful indicator of collision potential?


2. If near collisions are a meaningful risk indicator, does it matter whose fault it was? In other words, is it only an at-fault near collision that indicates risk, or is it all near collisions, even those that “weren’t my fault”?

Background on the Data

Before I answer those questions, I first need to establish a little background on the source of my information.

At DriveCam, we have the unique opportunity to identify risky driving through the use of our in-cab video technology. When a client vehicle experiences an abrupt force, it triggers the capture of a short video clip that we then review to isolate any risky behaviors and assess risk. Currently, we have more than 18 million clips with associated review data.  

To answer the questions above, I’ll draw information from a recent DriveCam study, which looked at near collisions that were both avoidable and unavoidable, during a 26-week period in 2009.  During that time period, a group of 46,812 drivers from 210 commercial fleets triggered 700,000 events, of which 133,000 were scored as “risky” and 2,565 involved collisions.

Near Collision Avoidable (NCA)

• A driver with 1 or more near collision avoidable (NCA) was significantly more likely to have a collision than a driver without an NCA. For example, a driver who had 4 NCA’s had a 4x greater risk of a collision than a driver with none.  Furthermore, a driver with 10 NCA’s during this 26-week period had a 7-fold increase in having a collision!



• A driver with 1 or more NCA was significantly more likely to have multiple collisions than a driver without an NCA. For example, a driver who had 4 NCA’s had a 13X greater risk of multiple collisions than a driver with none, and a driver with 10 NCA’s during this 26-week period had a 46 fold increase! (See Chart Below)

 

Near Collision Unavoidable (NCU)

• A driver with 1 or more near collision unavoidable (NCU) was significantly more likely to have a collision than a driver without an NCU. For example, a driver who had 4 NCU’s had a 4x greater risk of a collision than a driver with none. And, a driver with 10 NCU’s during this 26-week period had about a 5-fold increase in having a collision.



• A driver with 1 or more (NCU) was significantly more likely to have multiple collisions than a driver without an NCU. For example, a driver who had 4 NCU’s had a 6X greater risk of multiple collisions than a driver with none. And, a driver with 10 NCU’s during this 26-week period had a 30-fold increase! (See Chart Below)

 

The bottom line is that identified incidences of Near Collision Avoidable are a very good predictor of future crash risk. Although not quite as dramatic, the data also shows that Near Collision Unavoidable incidents are also a very meaningful predictor of future crash potential.

This should come as no surprise. It’s been my experience that the best drivers constantly scan the traffic picture, maintain adequate distance between themselves and others, and operate at reasonable and safe speeds. With these techniques in action, these top drivers simply make early, well-thought-out adjustments when other drivers make mistakes.  Their decisions and actions occur while they’re farther away from the other driver.

The less skilled driver commonly has less awareness and limited space. Consequently, these drivers are forced to make abrupt, emergency responses when someone else makes a mistake. So, even if the close call “wasn’t my fault”, it’s probable the techniques the driver employed increased their chances for a “near collision”.

Everywhere around us there are new words being used to describe something. For example, for those of you who watched the NBA playoffs you'll note they refer to really tall players as "having length". That's what we used to call being tall. The Internet is riddled with newly created words such as "blogosphere" and "twittering". In gaming, if one kid lost to another, he just got "poned".

I think we in fleet safety need to do the same for driving. Here are some ideas to get us started:

Have you ever seen a driver fight his way through traffic until he finally reaches a gap in traffic? At that point the right thing to do would be to try to hold that position as long as possible. After all, if there's no one around, they can't hit you. But of course, that's not what most drivers do. They charge ahead to the next group of traffic and go through the exercise all over again. We'll call this select class of drivers "poddlers" as, similar to dolphins and whales, they seem so much more comfortable traveling within pods. In safety meetings, I've often had discussions with drivers about this phenomenon. Most "get" my point but a few will openly debate on the topic, proclaiming this is simply what you have to do to get around in the city. The freedom to discuss this topic is known as "podacracy".

How about drivers who cut in front of you? Sure, I know you already have a name for them, but let's keep it professional. These drivers aren't really trying to ruin your day, they are simply self-centered and oblivious to the problems they've caused you when they cut you off. In more common terms they have their heads up their...well you know. There is a term for these folks: "cranialrectologists".

Okay, how about those drivers who flip on the turn signal after they hit the brakes or during, rather than before a lane change?  Don't get pissed off. After all, they aren't really out to cause you trouble. They aren't even aware of what they're doing. These are "signalramuses". These signalramuses continually reinforce what professional drivers have always known...the only thing you can assume when someone flips on the turn signal is that the bulb works. For your viewing pleasure I've included a video that demonstrates a cranialrectologist who is also a signalramus. 

Now you are getting the idea. What about drivers with the infamous, "Baby on Board" sign stuck on the window? Some well-meaning entrepreneur came out with these in the 1990's. When I see a car with this sign it usually includes a loving parent tailgating the vehicle ahead, yakking on the cell phone and constantly turning around to tend to junior as he or she rolls down the road.  And this person thinks the surrounding drivers are the biggest threat to their child's safety?  The biggest risk to their kid's safety is right there in the vehicle with them! Unfortunately, these are not just a phenomenon of the 80's and 90's. These "notresponsipods" can still be seen on streets and highways near you.

Let's attach a name to something a little more positive. Here's the scenario...you are safely traveling down the road calmly watching all the poddlers race by. Suddenly, you have to jam on the brakes as another motorist cuts in front of you. You keep your cool (no horn, no fingers) and patiently rebuild space to protect yourself from this driver. As you watch, they do it again, expertly cutting off another driver. A few moments later, they do it one more time. It's confirmed, he's a cranialrectologist and you'd better watch out.

A minute or two later you've forgotten about the cranialrectologist. They've moved on to spread their misery to others. But wait, who do you see pulled off to the side of the road with the state trooper? Yup, it's the guy who just cut you off. It doesn't happen often enough, but when it does, it sure feels good...doesn't it?  This is a rare moment when the stars align perfectly and justice is served. I haven't thought of a name for this yet, but it sure is awesome!

There's actually a purpose behind this little exercise. Too many drivers let their emotions take over and personalize it when someone else makes a foolish move. Once your emotions take control, bad decisions and poor judgment often follow. Next time you're behind the wheel, try this little vocabulary exercise as a method to diffuse your frustration before emotions impact the way you drive.

I've been working at changing driver behavior for almost 30 years - both seasoned drivers with more than a million miles under their belts and those fresh out of trucking school in their first few weeks of commercial driving.

Through this experience (including presenting thousands of on-road training sessions), I've seen drivers make every mistake you can imagine, regardless of experience or attitude.

For example, I'll intentionally knock the right mirror out of adjustment while on the road with a driver and he'll never even notice it (obviously not something he uses regularly). Or, I'll watch drivers intentionally crowd the vehicle in front during a check ride. When asked why they are doing it, I usually hear, "to keep other drivers from cutting in".

Working at DriveCam has afforded me the unique opportunity to view risky driving through our in-cab video technology. Unfortunately, this includes thousands of crashes and near crashes.

The majority of the risky behaviors I see can be sorted into two buckets; one contains "willful" actions, while the other includes actions I'll label as "unknowing". Let me explain a little about each and why this is relevant to your company's efforts to improve driving behavior.

Willful Risky Behavior

Some drivers knowingly take risky actions, even though they know it is against state law or company policy. Examples of this include speeding, running a stop sign or using a hand-held cell phone. In situations where the risky behavior is willful, it's important to understand "why" the action was taken.  Sure, you may choose to be punitive as it was a deliberate violation, but this won't change the underlying reason why the driver did it in the first place. Instead of changing the risky behavior, your driver may just work harder to avoid getting caught. Knowing the "why" behind an action and addressing it is an important step to gaining sustained improvement from drivers.

Take a look at the included video that shows a driver willingly rolling through a stop light.  Certainly the driver knew this was against the law, yet they did it anyway. Why? Probably because they've gotten away with it many times before and just didn't think it was risky. That was true until this event - when a motorcyclist was almost struck.

Consider the example of a driver using the cell phone while driving even though it's against your policy. He probably does so because he doesn't think it's risky. This needs to be addressed and requires education on the impact of distracted driving. This driver will likely change his beliefs once he's exposed to the data that validates the concern and the countless tragic stories from parents and spouses who have lost loved ones due to distracted driving. If he doesn't change after that, he just doesn't care.  But, that's another story.

Unknowing Risky Behavior

Other times, drivers unknowingly exhibit behaviors that significantly increase risk behind the wheel.  In these instances the driver usually is not aware he is taking ill-advised actions; it may just be a bad habit that they unconsciously repeat over and over. Or, he is aware of the action but doesn't realize it's risky. Examples of this include drivers looking just a short distance ahead, continual hard braking or following too close.

Sitting down with the driver to understand "why" the action was taken is crucial because otherwise, this behavior will likely occur again. Let's take the example of a driver not looking far enough ahead. This is a fundamental key to safe driving, yet too few drivers execute it well.  Certainly drivers want to look far enough ahead, but they just don't realize when they aren't doing it. Experience has taught me that this shortcoming won't be corrected in a safety meeting or by viewing a training video. You need to get out on the road with your driver and show how far ahead they should be looking and demonstrate the advantages, such as smoother driving, no load shifts and far fewer surprises.

Almost every company with a fleet gathers feedback on driving from somewhere. It may be through on-board technologies, motorist reports or, perhaps, anecdotal peer feedback. Whatever the method, if there is a risky behavior that needs to be addressed, be sure to determine if it is "willful" or "unknowing". This will help you to decide what strategy to pursue to ensure achieving lasting change in your drivers' behaviors.

Generally speaking, experience is a good thing. However, in driving it can be a two-edged sword. Sure, experience is essential when it comes to successfully maneuvering a truck or overcoming challenging driving situations. Unfortunately, experience can also be a hindrance because it can lead to complacency.

For instance, think back to your first few weeks of driving. Most likely, you were nervous and continually concerned about the traffic and other problems surrounding you. You didn't take anything for granted; danger existed in all directions. You were constantly aware of everything going on around you. Unfortunately, for most of us, this concern and vigilance quickly erode after a few months of driving without incident.  And, the more we drove without an incident, the more complacent we became.

What inevitably happens is that once we shift from expectations of mistakes by others to the assumption that others won't make mistakes, the more vulnerable we become.

Click to watch this video demonstrating what happens when complacency sets in. It's a young driver already so confident that he's driving while on the cell phone as he's going through an intersection. He does appear to move his head side to side, but it takes more than that. The mind must also be focused on the task. In this situation his mind is clearly channeled toward the person on the other end of the call, not on threats at the cross street.

Do you remember going to the circus and seeing the elephants parading - each one holding the tail of the elephant ahead as they walk? It works fine as long as the first elephant doesn't stop suddenly and interrupt the flow. But, if the first elephant does stop, what happens? You've got a rear-end collision! Unfortunately, drivers aren't much different - one driver blindly following the other.

The next time you are stopped at a red light, watch the "pack" waiting for the light to change. Odds are that as soon as the light turns green, each vehicle will charge out immediately after the vehicle in front accelerates. Usually, nothing bad happens because there is no break in the flow. Unfortunately, at some point a problem inevitably occurs ahead - such as late crossing traffic or a tardy cyclist. What happens?  The lead vehicle needs to suddenly hit the brakes. What follows?  Usually a chain reaction of hard braking within the "pack" because none of the trailing vehicles considered this possibility. Unexpected hard braking is always dangerous - especially in a truck when it can lead to a load shift, cargo damage or worse, a rear-end accident.

Or, what about the driver waiting at a driveway or cross street anxiously looking to turn onto the main street? How many times have you seen this driver get impatient and make a bad decision on when to pull out? Did it end in hard braking or vehicles swerving to miss each other? Hopefully, it wasn't you involved in this type of incident. What constantly amazes me is how many drivers blindly trust in their belief that bad things can't happen to them. And, yet, they are taken by surprise each time someone unexpectedly pulls out in front of them.

The problem is that this blind trust gets worse the longer we get away with it. Despite the alarming number of incidents at intersections, most drivers don't check left-right-left, but instead blindly rely on a little piece of colored glass to protect them. Many drivers put too much trust in turn signals. They take other drivers' turn signals at face value and pull out onto the roadway only to find the driver wasn't turning after all.

It's a numbers game. The more complacency sets in, the more we blindly trust other drivers. And the more we trust other drivers, the greater the chance something bad will happen. That's the difference between the really good drivers and those piling up the collision statistics. A good driver understands that complacency and over-confidence is the enemy when behind the wheel and they work hard to defeat it. They understand that they can't get lazy about applying the fundamentals of safe driving and blindly trust other motorists to do the right thing. They know these fundamentals need to be constantly top-of-mind and applied to their daily driving; otherwise, they won't protect them when they need it most.

Just like golf or tennis, driving is a skill that can be continually improved. Unfortunately, most motorists invest far more time and money in improving their golf game than they'll ever spend to improve their driving skills. Not me. I can always take a mulligan if I spray a drive off the fairway. There are no mulligans when it comes to collisions. 

I've been in fleet safety for almost 30 years. During that time I've ridden along with thousands of truck drivers, teaching them how to use advanced driving skills to stay safer behind the wheel.

As large trucks are heavy and take a considerable distance to stop, it is critical that professional drivers see problems very early so they can respond smoothly and safely.  When I mention this to truck drivers during training they usually roll their eyes and respond, "of course, that's what I do."  Some even point out that because they sit higher, they can see over the vehicles out front, therefore, be looking far ahead.  Unfortunately, just because drivers have the ability to see farther ahead, doesn't insure they will. In fact, my ride along experiences tell me that one of the most common shortcomings with truck drivers is that they aren't  looking as far ahead as they should. 

It's not intentional; it's just that our eyes aren't really designed to guide us at driving speeds. Few drivers really think about where they are looking as they drive. It's just an unconscious behavior. Have you ever been taken by surprise by a problem happening up ahead yet you weren't distracted or following too close? This is usually an indicator you weren't looking far enough ahead at that moment. Your eyes were doing what they tend to do naturally...focus just a few seconds ahead. Four wheelers may get away with it because the vehicle is lighter and more nimble, but it can be disastrous if you are driving a truck. If you think I'm exaggerating the problem, just do an Internet search for "multi-car crash". You'll find scores of articles and videos about multiple vehicle crashes that started with road construction or a vehicle stopped ahead.  In many of these, one driver after another piles into the vehicle ahead despite clear visibility and dry roads. How could this be? Could all of these drivers have been engrossed in cell calls or texting? No. Most of the drivers were simply fixated a short distance ahead and discovered the problem far too late to avoid it.

Coming Clean

A lapse in looking far enough ahead can happen to anyone. In fact, I have to come clean on this one as it's happened to me, as well. I've even included a link so you can view a video of my mistake. As you'll see in the video, I was alert and looking forward, yet didn't recognize traffic getting bottled up until very late. It was almost too late. Thankfully, I had an escape route to the right to avoid a collision.

The Facts

Not surprisingly, not looking far ahead is the most common risky behavior we see when reviewing DriveCam clips. In fact, in an analysis of approximately 65,000 events involving truckers from June 2009 to January 2010, we found that 80% of the time Not Looking Far Ahead was the identified concern when an awareness issue was involved. This behavior is a strong predictor of future crash potential for truck drivers. In the study time period we found that truckers with one collision were 1.5 times more likely to have had at least one prior incident of not looking far enough ahead. And truckers with two or more crashes during that period were 2.4 times as likely to have had a prior incident of not looking far enough ahead.

The Solution

O.K. so what's the solution? The answer lies in looking farther ahead. Most safe driving programs advocate that drivers of commercial vehicles look at least 15 seconds ahead. In other words, you should be glancing to where you'll be in 15 seconds. That means looking about one block ahead at city speeds and about a quarter mile ahead at highway speeds.  This sounds simple. But for most, this is not the norm and breaking an old habit can be difficult. That's why it's so important for trainers to get out on the road with their drivers so they can coach them to lift their eyes up and look farther down the road. Once the concept is understood, the next step is for the driver to practice it over and over until it becomes their new norm.

Projecting vision further ahead gives drivers more time and space to identify and cope with upcoming problems early enough to avoid a crash. It also helps drivers to see changing conditions such as road construction or a red light sooner. Armed with this advanced knowledge, truck drivers can often make early throttle adjustments to keep the vehicle rolling longer. This can add up to meaningful savings in fuel expense as well as a reduction in wear and tear on the truck.  It may even save a life.  

 

At DriveCam we review thousands of risky driving incidents every day. Many of these incidents are near collisions and often, only luck separates these incidents from being a crash. Recently, I was reviewing video clips of several near collisions at a client's request to see how many were unavoidable and could merit positive recognition for the driver. There were some, but there were also many where the driver inadvertently placed himself in a situation that increased the potential of a close call. By examining DriveCam's database of more than 15 million driving events, we know that drivers with an avoidable near collision are . . . .

• 13 times more likely to fail to properly check their mirrors before making a lane change,
• 5 times more likely to fail to look far enough ahead,
• 11 times more likely to have inadequate space around their vehicle,
• 3 times more likely to be distracted by a handheld cell call,
• 4 times more likely to be engaged in a hands-free cell conversation,
• 3 times more likely to be distracted by food or drink while driving.

In addition to these, one of the more common situations I saw was what I'll call the "Open Lane." It's a concept that too few drivers think about. Let me explain what the "Open Lane" is ...

Have you ever seen one lane stop or slow to a crawl and yet, magically, an adjacent lane is open? I refer to this as the "Open Lane" phenomenon and it can be dangerous.

The "Open Lane" tends to shift as traffic and problems transfer from lane to lane. Unfortunately, these temporary open lanes are dangerous bait that traps frustrated motorists over and over again. Often, they conclude in swerving and angry horn honking or worse yet, a side swipe or a rear ender.

Everyone has time pressures, and when presented with an unexpected opportunity to get moving again, most drivers excitedly "drop into the slot" created by the open lane, accelerate and go. There's only one problem ... if one driver drops into the slot to take advantage of the open space, why wouldn't others want to do the same? Obviously, they would. Yet, I am constantly amazed at how many videos I review that show a suddenly free driver failing to anticipate and adjust for this dangerous inevitability.

I'm not naïve enough to expect drivers to sit still in a backed up lane while other drivers sail by in a faster moving lane. They wouldn't do it. The danger isn't necessarily in taking the available space; the danger resides in traveling in an open lane at speeds substantially faster than the lane alongside. A high speed differential makes it very difficult to detect - and then safely react to - a vehicle abruptly jumping out of an adjacent lane without warning. And the risk inherent in this speed differential is even more critical for truck drivers.

If you do have an open lane or choose to "drop into the slot" to get moving again, limit the difference between your speed and the speed in the clogged lane alongside you to approximately ten miles per hour. Your speed management, along with vigilant scanning for anxious drivers ahead, will provide you the time and space required to safely control the risk of a hasty lane jumper. The lane jumper won't give you a turn signal, so watch their front tires for clues of their intentions. You can be certain someone will be jumping in - you just don't know who or when.

Look for "Open Lane" situations next time you're on the roadway. You'll be amazed by how many close calls occur because of this. Learn from other drivers' mistakes and anticipate and adjust the next time you find yourself with an open lane.

Each year, rear-end collisions account for nearly 30 percent of all U.S. traffic collisions. Almost every one of these two million collisions is a combination of poor awareness and inadequate spacing.

Awareness can improve, but as long as a human is controlling the vehicle, lack of attention will remain an issue.
Space, or rather lack of space, is a different issue. Some will argue that there just isn't any space available and they have no choice but to stay with the pack and hug the tail of the driver ahead. And, if they drop back, someone will just cut in and fill that space. This argument looks good on paper. After all, there are 40 million more vehicles on the road today than just 10 years ago, with few new roads to accommodate this growth.

But in truth, this is just an excuse for poor driving. Most people begin their driving careers very aware of the need for space. Over time, false confidence and complacency set in. Unknowingly, many motorists edge closer as they gain experience, reducing the space ahead. They may get away with it for a while, but risk is increased and consequences will follow. They just don't know when.

I'm not talking about aggressive tailgaters; they are quite aware of the risks they are taking. I'm referring to the well-meaning driver who is unconsciously following from one to 1 ¾ seconds behind the car ahead. We've all ridden with this type of driver. They happily chat along with you while they drive, despite the fact less than two seconds separates you both from disaster. Meanwhile, you're nervously jamming your feet into the floorboards, trying to will the vehicle to back off from the vehicle in front.

Sufficient space ahead is critical. Our daily reviewing of thousands of DriveCam event recordings reveals too few people have the space they need to be in control of their own fate. The problem is that driving becomes routine, with most drivers completely unaware of the poor space they're maintaining. Improvement can only begin with recognition of the problem; when confronted with the issue, the most common response from drivers is, "I didn't even know I was doing that." That's where tools that help carriers observe their drivers' behavior can give them a big head start when it comes to correcting this troubling behavior.

A study done by Daimler-Chrysler found that an extra second of warning could prevent a full 90% of rear-end collisions. This extra second of space is there if only drivers would work to create it. If you can train your drivers to generate that extra second of space, you would dramatically decrease their risk behind the wheel. Their lives depend on it.

Recently, we studied about 200 rear-end crashes that had been captured on DriveCam cameras. Our goal was to find out how much following distance the trailing vehicle was maintaining behind the lead vehicle prior to the crash. What we found was that 47% of the time, the trailing vehicle was less than 2 seconds behind the lead vehicle prior to the onset of the accident. Only 17% of the events involved the trailing vehicle maintaining a following distance of 2 seconds or more. The other 36% of the incidents did not involve following distance at all. The lead vehicle was already stopped and the trailing driver was distracted or locked in thought and had a "blank stare."

 

 

I'm not suggesting that a two to three seconds following distance is acceptable in every instance. However, for those fleet executives intent on improving their drivers' space management performance, their initial focus should be on having their drivers get in the habit of regularly establishing a following distance of two seconds or more. Those successful in changing this one driving behavior will have had an exponentially positive impact on reducing risk in their fleet.

“To put it plainly, distracted driving is a menace to society. Distracted driving is an epidemic and it seems to be getting worse every year,”          Ray LaHood, Secretary of Transportation.

Until recently, collisions were simply a cost of doing business and it was anyone’s guess as to what was occurring behind the wheel. For instance:

• In 2008, 5,870 people lost their lives and an estimated 515,000 people were injured in crashes in which at least one form of driver distraction occurred.
• During a study conducted by VTTI for NHTSA, driver involvement in secondary tasks contributed to over 22% of all crashes and near-crashes recorded.

As a result of these frightening figures, Secretary LaHood is pursuing the following:

• Ban text messaging altogether and restrict the use of cell phones by truck drivers and interstate bus operators.
• Disqualify school bus drivers convicted of texting while driving from maintaining commercial driver's licenses.
• Reducing fatalities and crashes by making distracted driving part of state highway plans, and continuing to pass state and local laws against distracted driving in all types of vehicles, especially school buses.

In addition, the Obama Administration released an Executive Order directing federal employees not to engage in text messaging while driving government-owned vehicles; when using electronic equipment supplied by the government while driving; or while driving privately owned vehicles when they are on official government business.

What Can Be Done to Stop This Menace?

It’s imperative that drivers be aware of what they are doing behind the wheel and understand that the most important (and only) thing they should be doing when driving is … driving. Even hands-free use of a cell phone doesn’t stop the problem.

“There are limits to how much we can multi-task, and that combination of cell phone and driving exceeds the limits," says David Strayer, a of Utah psychologist who found that by many measures, drivers talking on cell phones are more dangerous behind the wheel than those who are drunk, whether the conversation is carried on by handset or headset.

Distracted driving, drowsy driving and just plain poor driving habits lead to risky driving and possible collisions.  For a dramatic example of how  distracted driving can have dire consequences, click on the video thumbnail below. So how do you correct these problems? Why do some driving safety programs succeed, while others do not? It all comes down to effective risk identification and coaching with the proper tools.

• Effective Risk Identification – Fleet operators must have the tools to identify risky driving on an on-going basis before it leads to a crash. Very few fleets have the tools to identify poor driving before it’s too late. This is especially true of distracted driving.
• Coaching with the Proper Tools – Driver coaching is an important follow up activity once concerning driving has been identified. One of the challenges is that when it comes to driving, just about every driver thinks they are good. In a recent survey, DriveCam found that 78% of drivers surveyed rated themselves as at least above-average drivers; yet this same group only rated 9% of other drivers as better than average.

So, when coaching, how do you convince a driver that they need to change their behavior? Studies have shown video to be a valuable deterrent when it comes to curtailing these types of behaviors. And with visual evidence of the behavior, coaches can quickly move past any debate about what really happened and instead focus on what needs to change to reduce risk in the future.

Our own internal research has shown that 54% of all distractions are related to a cell phone – either hand held or hands free. Our research has also shown that the use of an in-cab video monitoring system can reduce by up to 90% the number of distractions, as long behavioral coaching is also involved. This number varies slightly based upon the industry, type of vehicle and length of time the driver has been monitored.

Conclusion

To eliminate texting while driving – and other forms of driver distraction – fleet operators need to take a three-fold approach:

1. Strong company policy and enforcement regarding distracted driving
2. Internal education and training about the dangers of distracted driving
3. Use of technologies to monitor compliance and identify inappropriate cell use or texting as well as other forms of unsafe driving

As Secretary LaHood said, “We must kill distracted driving before it kills us.” Now it’s just a matter of figuring out the best way to do so.