Smartphones have made mobile workers more distracted

Thanks to its Driver Safety Solutions, the vehicle management and reimbursement platform Motus has helped businesses reduce collision rates among their grey fleet drivers by 35 percent. However, it is clear that distracted driving is still an ongoing issue among such drivers and among mobile workers as a whole. New Jersey motorists will want to know about a study that Motus has released concerning this topic.

Its 2018 Distracted Driving Report shows that there is a parallel between smartphone ownership and auto accident rates among the mobile workforce. The former rose from 55 to 77 percent between 2013 and 2017, while the latter rose from 5.7 million to 6.4 million accidents. This is a 12.3 percent increase in car crashes.

Every year, mobile workers travel an average of 1,200 miles while distracted behind the wheel. In fact, Americans drove 107 billion miles while distracted by their phones in 2017, showing that the issue does not merely affect the mobile workforce. On the other hand, Motus has calculated that mobile workers drive 49 percent more than any other type of American employee.

Employers pay an average of $4,400 for every grey fleet driver who gets into a crash. Phone distraction alone costs employers about $1,680 per driver. In addition, 2017 saw grey fleet drivers miss a total of 1.65 million work days.

Those who are injured through the actions of a negligent driver will want to see a lawyer about filing a claim. If the other party is a grey fleet driver, the victim may be able to file the claim against the business; for example, the business may be neglecting to enforce safe driving guidelines among its workforce. The lawyer could hire third parties to gather proof supporting the claim, which could include phone records. The victim can leave negotiations to the lawyer.