Toolbox Talk: Distracted Driving

Before you start

Have a copy of the company's phone and driving policy on hand so you can point to it.

Read this to your crew

For many of us, driving is the most dangerous thing we do all day. At highway speed, looking at a phone for five seconds means driving the length of a football field blind.

Today we will talk about the common distractions and how to deal with them before you start driving.

Key points

Set it before you go. Program the GPS, pick your music and send your last message before you start the engine.
Put the phone away. Use do-not-disturb while driving. If a call cannot wait, pull over somewhere safe.
Eating and reaching count too. Anything that takes your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel or your mind off driving is a distraction.
Watch for fatigue. Drowsy driving can be as dangerous as drunk driving. If you are nodding off, stop and rest.
Speak up. If you are a passenger, offer to handle the phone or navigation so the driver does not have to.

Ask the crew

What is the hardest distraction for you to ignore while driving?
What could we change about scheduling or calls to make it easier to not use phones on the road?
What do you do when you start feeling drowsy behind the wheel?

Picture this

A service tech glances down to read a text about his next job. Traffic ahead stops, and he rear-ends a car. The text was about a schedule change that could have waited ten minutes.

Print this page to use the sign-in sheet, or skip the paper and record attendance digitally in SafetyIQ.

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Talk leader: ______________ Date: ______________ Site: ______________