But the change is not yet pervasive. In the survey, taken in late October 2011, 49% of those surveyed said they had taken a call or texted while driving. Brian Mershon, a spokesman for Fluor, said the company would not have a position on any legislation that stemmed from the NTSB recommendation.
What You Can Do
Elsewhere, in March, Bechtel began prohibiting use of all company-owned mobile devices, even with a hands-free device.
“The reason for the policy is simple: The company is committed to the safety of its employees,” says Michelle Michael, a Bechtel spokeswoman.
The policy was not prompted by an accident. “Given that research shows talking on a cell phone or texting increases the risk of an accident, the company’s leaders felt it only made sense to eliminate the risk and implement the policy," Michael adds. Employees also are prohibited from texting, e-mailing or discussing work issues on personal mobile devices while driving.
In the seven months since Bechtel's policy went into effect, more than 60% of those surveyed by the company have given up the use of personal mobile devices while driving, and nearly half said the ban prompted them to encourage family and friends to give up the use of mobile devices while driving.
The Shaw Group also recently completed a companywide campaign to educate its employees on the dangers of distracted driving. Shaw bans all text messaging while driving a Shaw-owned vehicle or for Shaw-related business. Shaw's policy does allow cell-phone use only with hands-free devices, though it is highly discouraged, says Gentry Brann, a spokeswoman for Shaw.
On the jobsite, distracted driving becomes a more complicated issue. The use of walkie-talkies, tablet computers and scanning devices in the context of safely operating a vehicle or piece of equipment may be acceptable, says Peter Wallace, senior vice president of Hill International's construction claims division.
"But the personal use of cell phones is clearly not acceptable," he says.
OSHA Gets Involved
