More than one-half of employees feel pressure from work to drive distracted: Survey

Despite all the knowledge around the dangers of distracted driving, workers are still feeling the crunch from their employers to answers emails and phone calls when behind the wheel.According to a survey by the National Safety Council in the United States, 54 per cent of drivers still feel pressure from work to drive distracted. Nearly one-half (45 per cent) feel pressure from work to respond to emails while driving, followed by answering a phone call (38 per cent) and responding to a text (34 per cent), found the survey of 2,409 Americans.

Eight in 10 (82 per cent) survey respondents said they feel the most pressure from their families to drive distracted. The finding not only sheds light on why people continue to drive distracted, but also underscores their ongoing struggle to accurately assess risk, said the council.

Two-thirds of drivers felt unsafe because of another driver’s distraction, but far fewer — just 25 per cent — recognized that their own distractions have put themselves or others at risk.

Thousands have died in distracted driving crashes. The dangers of using cellphones — even hands-free — while driving have been understood for years, yet there are more ways than ever to stay connected behind the wheel. In-vehicle systems allow drivers to call, text, email, update social media and browse the Internet, despite research showing these systems cause distraction that can linger long after the driver finishes the task, said the National Safety Council.

Encouragingly, 55 per cent of drivers said if their vehicle or phone came with a technology solution to prevent distraction, they would not turn it off.