NSC Releases Wireless Communications Survey Results

In August, 2009, more than 2,000 National Safety Council members responded to a survey on employee use of wireless communication devices while driving. Below are some surprising results:

The results

• 58 percent of respondents have some kind of cell phone ban in place
• 469 companies prohibit both handheld and hands-free devices while driving for some or all employees.
• 99 percent of companies that ban both handheld and hands-free devices have experienced no decrease in employee productivity

More than one-third of respondents without any policy expect to implement one within the next 12 months

Handheld vs. Hands-Free

Half of the respondents currently prohibiting only handheld devices report they are "somewhat" to "very likely" to upgrade their policies to include banning hands-free phones. NSC does not support policies that ban only hands-free devices. The best practice is to ban all cell phone use while driving. Research has shown there are no safety benefits to hands-free phones. The distraction comes from the conversation itself more than where the drivers' hands are placed.

Two barriers to implementing policies commonly reported in the survey were productivity and employee acceptance.

Productivity

As mentioned above, only 1 percent of respondents experienced a decrease in productivity. A few companies actually had productivity increases. One company mentioned an unexpected benefit - decreased expenses for wireless devices.

Next steps

Using cell phones while driving has become part of American culture, but businesses can help lead the cultural change. To get involved, contact the National Safety Council or visit www.nsc.org.