Whether it’s texting, talking on the phone or using any type of hand held technology device, you know you shouldn’t be doing it while driving. Cell phones have been proven to be one of the most common distractions for drivers in recent years and in response, all provinces in Canada have some type of legislation regarding cell phone use while driving. If you own or operate a business where employees do deliveries or operate a vehicle for business related purposes and they cause an accident while they were using a hand held device, you could be held vicariously liable.
Protect your business with a zero tolerance policy for using hand held devices while operating a vehicle. What steps can you take to achieve this? Here are some tips:
Tips for creating, and enforcing, a zero tolerance policy.
- Take the time to write up an employee policy, outlining firm conditions for phone usage while driving and related consequences for not following the conditions. Based on the laws in your jurisdiction, you might want to institute a complete ban or allow only hands free usage.
- Encourage employees to ensure they have all the information they need prior to leaving for their destination, such as proper directions and not feeling pressured to answer their phone or respond to a text message immediately during the trip.
- Make sure any violations are documented and dealt with accordingly in order to establish that you are serious about implementing the policy.
Running the day to day operations of your company is complicated enough. Manage your risk ahead of time with the steps above and protect yourself from undue stress and potential financial consequences. If you have any questions regarding the information above or if you would like to discuss your current policy with a broker, our Bullfrog Insurance brokers would be happy to help you out. Contact us today for more information.