Drivers in Brooklyn are probably aware that distracted driving is a serious safety issue. According to the 2018 Distracted Driving Report from Motus, a workforce management company, this issue is especially common with the mobile workforce. Mobile workers are always connected, so it’s not surprising that they would be prone to using their smartphones behind the wheel.
The report actually links the increase in smartphone ownership with the rise in auto accidents among mobile workers. In 2013, 55 percent of mobile workers owned smartphones whereas 77 percent did in 2017. In that same five-year period, the number of crashes among mobile workers rose from 5.7 million to 6.4 million.
Motus calculates that every year, mobile workers each drive approximately 1,200 “distracted miles.” It should also be taken into account that these employees drive 49 percent more than any other type of employee in the U.S. Smartphone use among them is most common during the morning and evening commutes, but the peak is between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Employers have to pay out an average of $4,400 for every crash that their grey fleet gets into. This includes legal and medical expenses, property damage and lost productivity. Mobile workers missed a total of 1.65 million work days in 2017. Many businesses have taken advantage of the tools offered by Motus for ensuring safe, qualified grey fleet drivers.
If employers do not take steps to ensure a safe and responsible fleet, they may be held liable for any auto accidents that their employees cause. Distracted driving is a form of negligence, but it may be that the victim contributed to the accident. In such cases, the court will determine the percentage that each party was at fault. Victims with the grounds for a claim may turn to a lawyer for assistance, especially at the negotiation stage.