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MTD September 2015 Business insight who pulled into the path of an oncoming vehicle. In reality, they did see the oncoming car, but because their mind was elsewhere, it did not register. Tis loss of focus is a major contributor to many crashes. Statistics show that a driver taking his eyes of the road for just two seconds can double the risk of a crash. According to a spokesman for Driving Dynamics, the leading contributors of this issue are data entry (dialing, texting, GPS, etc.), engaging in in-vehicle activities (controlling children and pets, reach- ing for an item, grooming, eating, etc.), roadside diversions (billboards, disabled vehicles, "rubbernecking," sports events, etc.), and drowsiness. Te safety experts agree that cognitive research has shown that the "mind's eye" becomes visually impaired when engaged in certain nonessential driving activities, in particular, engaging in phone conversations while driving. As a phone call proceeds, brain activities essential for safe driving are redirected to support phone conversation interac- tions and the driver, from a cognitive perspective, sees less and less of the changing trafc conditions and cannot respond in a timely manner, if at all. Geting drivers onboard You should consider a dealership policy completely banning handheld and hands-free cell-phone use. Te NSC has a "Cell Phone Policy Kit" available at no cost on its website to help you create such a policy. Te best safety practice is a distracted driving policy that prohibits all cell phone or mobile communications device use while the vehicle is in motion, reports the NSC. Driving Dynamics also recommended a no-exception policy in which supervisors are also held accountable. While habits do not change overnight, for long-term results, work on geting buy-in from everyone in the organization and support this initiative by consistently geting the message out. Ofer practical, easy-to-follow tips on how to stay produc- tive safely, explain how everyone benefts, and share results. Consider rewarding employees for good safety records. According to ADTS, you cannot simply tell a driver "don't talk on the phone or text," you have to tell them why and provide some solutions. Leting drivers know the reality of the risk is a start. You should also develop strict policies that have follow-through in the event a driver does use the phone while driving. Driving Dynamics recommended that you go beyond the checklist approach. While it is important and meaningful to have a safety policy in place addressing distracted driving, in addition to the policy, tracking violations, and resulting enforcement, any person or group charged with helping the organization control and reduce risky driving behavior should consider an ongoing safety messaging campaign to bring this subject to the forefront and keep it there. In essence, market safety to your employees with the goal of creating a shared and valued culture of safety. Driving it home: the great multitasking lie While most, if not all of us, can agree that texting while driving is a dan- gerous behavior, the National Safety Council (NSC) believes many people don't fully grasp that having cell phone conversations while driving is also risky. Cognitive distractions last much longer than other distractions, such as visual ones. When you dial a cell phone, you may be visually distracted for a few seconds, but you are now cognitively distracted the entire length of the cell phone call, noted the NSC. Here are four myths that the NSC wants to help dispel regarding the "great multitasking lie." MYTH 1: Drivers can multitask. Reality: Contrary to popular belief, the human brain cannot multitask. Driving and talking on a cell phone are two thinking tasks that involve many areas of the brain. Instead of processing both simultaneously, the brain rapidly switches between two cognitive activities. MYTH 2: Talking to someone on a cell phone is no different than talking to someone in the vehicle. Reality: A study cited by the Uni- versity of Utah found that drivers distracted by cell phones are more oblivious to changing traffc condi- tions because they are the only ones in the conversation who are aware of the road. In contrast, drivers with adult pas- sengers in their vehicles have an extra set of eyes and ears to help keep the drivers aware of oncoming traf- fc problems. Adult passengers tend to adjust their talking when traffc is challenging. People on the other end of a driver's cell phone cannot do that. MYTH 3: Hands-free devices elimi- nate the danger of cell-phone use during driving. Reality: Whether handheld or hands- free, cell phone conversations while driving are risky because the distrac- tion to the brain remains. Activity in the parietal lobe, the area of the brain that processes movement of visual im- ages and is important for safe driving, decreases by as much as 37% when listening to language, according to a study by Carnegie Mellon University. Drivers talking on cell phones can miss seeing up to 50% of their driving environments, including pedestrians and red lights. They look but they don't see. This phenomenon is also known as "inattention blindness." MYTH 4: Drivers talking on cell phone still have a quicker reaction time than those who are driving under the infuence. Reality: A controlled driving simula- tor study conducted by the University of Utah found that drivers using cell phones had slower reaction times than drivers with an 0.08 blood alcohol content, the legal intoxication limit. Drivers talking on cell phones can immediately eliminate their risk by hanging up the phone, while drunk drivers remain at risk until they so- ber up. 68