Many trade contractors use their van or truck as their mobile office. Invoicing, credit card readers and receipts that need to be filed, are on the dash, shoved in the sun visor or in a cup holder, you get the picture. There is even a pickup that touts its rear tailgate as being flexible enough to be an office! With all of this activity going on in the cabin of your vehicle don’t let this distract you while driving.
Distracted driving has been a major concern for the insurance industry for the past decade and the loss trends show that distracted driving is still a growing issue. As the owner of a contracting business your cell phone can be the life line to your business, however you should create a policy relating to distracted driving and cell phone use.
Some things to consider in a policy to reduce Distracted Driving:
No texting -reading or sending while the vehicle is being operated
Phone calls go to voicemail and are only reviewed when you parked and off of the road.
Have a passenger answer the phone and take notes and messages.
If you must take phone calls while operating a vehicle only permit the use of hands free calling for incoming and outgoing calls. And have your phone in a dash mounted holder do not lay it on your lap.
If using your vehicle’s or phone’s GPS for mapping your next appointment set the destination before you start driving.
Other items that can be addressed in a policy to reduce distracted driving can included;
Keeping the cab organized-while this area may be a mobile office if papers are falling off the dash this can cause you to reach for them and become distracted.
No eating while driving.
Try to limit adjusting the radio.
While many of the items on the list are just good business practices that will save you time in the long run many insurance companies will give you a premium discount if you implement a written policy to reduce distracted driving. Other insurance providers may use more high tech means when offering premium credits. Examples include dual facing cameras that can monitor what drivers are doing at all times as well as the forward-facing camera that can monitor conditions around the vehicle.
So, while you continue to grow your contracting business take some time to think about the loss your business could suffer from an accident caused by distracted driving. If you want to learn more about what the insurance industry is doing to reduce distracted driving or would like a quote for your contracting business give the Trusted Choice agents at Richey-Barrett insurance a call.
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