Travelers Risk Index Reveals Why Americans Still Engage in Distracted Driving Despite Known Dangers
27 Mars 2019 - 2:15PM
Business Wire
Workplace pressures, desire to multitask and
lack of third-party intervention among reasons for the continuing
trend
Ahead of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, The Travelers
Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) today announced the results of the 2019
Travelers Risk Index, which surveyed more than 2,000 consumers and
executives about distracted driving and the reasons behind it.
According to the Index, nearly eight in ten consumers talk on
the phone while driving, and more than 30 percent admit to having
been in a near-miss crash because they were distracted. And
although distracted driving poses potential liability risks for
companies, many expect employees to remain connected and do little
to discourage such behaviors behind the wheel.
“It’s startling to see that drivers continue to engage in
potentially life-threatening habits,” said Chris Hayes, Second Vice
President of Transportation, Risk Control at Travelers. “Whether
driving for work or on personal time, many drivers overlook risks
that make our roads more dangerous for all of us.”
Driving Distracted Is a Tough Habit to Break
The Travelers Risk Index identified common distractions when
behind the wheel, including:
- Typing a text or email (44
percent).
- Using social media (23 percent).
- Recording videos or taking photos (22
percent).
- Shopping online (15 percent).
A small yet alarming number of drivers say it would be difficult
to stop such behaviors. Thirteen percent of respondents say they
would find it very difficult to stop reading texts or emails while
driving, and 11 percent say it would be difficult to stop typing
texts or emails while driving. In addition, five percent of
respondents say they would find it very difficult to stop shopping
online while driving.
Although many smartphones have settings to help drivers stay
focused, most drivers do not use these features. Consistent with
last year’s Index, only 12 percent of consumers set their phones to
Do Not Disturb while driving. In fact, of those respondents who do
not activate the Do Not Disturb feature, 41 percent actively choose
not to turn it on, while others simply forget to turn it on or find
it inconvenient to do so (35 percent).
Workplace Accountability Is Lacking
The 2019 Index suggests that many workplaces do not consider the
full consequences of distracted driving and do not do enough to
curb dangerous driving behavior.
Work-related crashes can result in significant costs, including
health care payments and losses in productivity. According to the
National Safety Council, the average economic cost of a crash is
more than $1 million per death and more than $78,000 per nonfatal
disabling injury. However, 12 percent of executives surveyed do not
worry about the liability associated with a crash caused by a
distracted employee, and most (74 percent) do not consider
distracted driving to be of great concern.
The connected culture and mounting workplace expectations may be
contributing to distracted driving. While most businesses report
being at least somewhat concerned about employees’ use of mobile
devices on the road, an overwhelming majority (87 percent) of
executives expect workers to be sometimes or frequently reachable
outside of the office. Many employees feel this pressure, as 20
percent of respondents who admit to replying to work-related
messages while driving say they do so because they worry about
upsetting their boss. Further, nearly half of those same
respondents say they always need to be available or do not want to
miss a work-related emergency. Lastly, 17 percent say drive time is
when they get a lot of work done.
“The pressure to always be online and connected can be deadly,”
added Hayes. “Even though distraction-related crashes occur
frequently, some companies continue to expect constant connectivity
without considering what’s at stake.”
Three out of four workplaces have implemented distracted driving
policies to help address such issues. However, just 18 percent of
businesses advise employees to set their phones to Do Not Disturb
before driving, and only 40 percent report knowing of an employee
who was disciplined for not complying with company policy.
Passive Passengers Let Behaviors Go Unchecked
Warding off digital addiction requires more than employer
policies. According to the survey, a conversation about driving
behavior can make a difference. Sixteen percent of consumers say
they rarely or never speak up while in a car with a distracted
driver, yet more than half say they would likely cease distracted
driving behaviors if they were asked to do so.
Some conversations about distracted driving are already
happening: Two-thirds of parents have spoken to their children
about distracted driving, and the same amount of companies say they
have an employee education program about the dangers of distracted
driving and how to avoid it.
For more information about the 2019 Travelers Risk Index, please
visit travelers.com/riskindex.
About the Travelers Risk Index
Hart Research conducted a national online survey of 1,000
consumers, ages 18 to 69, in March 2019. Separately, Hart surveyed
1,050 executives from businesses of all sizes. Both surveys were
commissioned by Travelers.
About Travelers
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is a leading provider
of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. A
component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has
approximately 30,000 employees and generated revenues of
approximately $30 billion in 2018. For more information, visit
www.travelers.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190327005436/en/
Sperry Mylott, 860.277.5075smylott@travelers.comKate Thermansen,
860.954.1789ktherman@travelers.com
The Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV)
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