Distracted driving claims thousands of lives every year, according to government statistics.
The temptation to text and drive seems to be hard to combat. But even talking on the phone in hands-free mode can be a distraction.
A National Safety Council white paper reports that a driver engaged in a cell phone conversation will suffer from “inattention blindness.” Basically this means that the driver will fail to see 50 percent of the information in the driving environment, the NSC reported.
The distracted driving trend is especially troublesome for fleet operators, logistics companies and others requiring trucking and roadway transport.
For the operators of the largest vehicles on the road, the risk of distracted driving is too great to ignore. This is why insurance companies urge fleet operators and other companies to adopt responsible driving policies and cut distracted driving by their employees.
Many fleet and trucking companies have turned to technology to enforce “distraction free” driving policies for their vehicle operators. Until the day our trucks can drive themselves safely in all conditions, we will be dependent on such safety technology to cut distractions for human drivers.
The Responsible Driver System from Tango Networks is an example of a solution that cuts distracted driving risk.
The RDS puts policy enforcement directly in the hands of the fleet operator, giving IT managers the ability to restrict mobile phone calls or texting.
Most importantly the solution is network-based, meaning policies restricting mobile call and text usage by drivers are enforced in the network, not on the device itself. That means your users cannot do an “end run” around the policies or turn them off.
For example, you may determine that mobile phones may not be used by drivers for calls or texts at particular speeds or during certain times of the day. However a special bypass option could permit drivers to still place emergency calls.
RDS is part of Mobile-X. It supports both personal devices such as in a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program as well as company-issued phones.
Featuring the most advanced implementation of fixed mobile convergence technologies, Mobile-X from Tango Networks supports many use cases for a distributed workforce, including Mobile Unified Communications, mobile workforce communications, and programs for remote working, work from home, telecommuting and business continuity.
Contact us today for a demonstration of Mobile-X to learn more.