Distracted Driving Policy for Florida Employers

Florida car accident lawyer Philip DeBerard and the rest of our legal team at Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney, encourage employers across the state to adopt policies that prohibit employees from texting while driving.

All forms of distracted driving are dangerous, but texting while driving has been recognized as the riskiest type of conduct behind the wheel. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, in fact, says that 25,156 crashes were caused by distracted driving in 2011, and 180 of those wrecks could be attributed to texting while driving.

Given our state’s lack of distracted driving laws, the law firm of Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney, believes that adopting work rules to stop employees from texting while driving is a smart and caring thing for employers to do.

We are available to help Florida employers craft or review a distracted driving policy for their company. We also provide the following policy as guidance. To learn more, call us today at our toll-free number or fill out our online contact form.

DISTRACTED DRIVING POLICY  

Motor vehicle accidents caused by drivers talking on cell phones and texting while driving are a serious problem in Florida and across the country.

Our company is committed to taking action necessary to protect our employees from these accidents and to show our concern for public safety by instituting this Distracted Driving Policy.

The following rules apply to all employees in the state of Florida operating a company vehicle, while using a company-issued cell phone, or using a cell phone, while operating a company-owned vehicle or a personal vehicle for company business, while in the course and scope of company business or if the company vehicle is being used for the employee’s personal use.

If the employee needs to use a cell phone, they must pull over safely to the side of the road or wait until they can exit the road safely and stop in a safe location off the road.

The employee may not use a cell phone while operating a vehicle, whether the vehicle is in motion or stopped in traffic. This includes but is not limited to answering or making phone calls, engaging in phone conversations, reading or responding to texts, emails or messages. 

Employees are required to turn cell phones off or put them on silent or vibrate before starting the engine of a vehicle in company use. We strongly suggest the voice mail greeting state that you are unable to answer calls or return messages while operating a vehicle but will return the call at the earliest possible opportunity. You are invited to advise those calling that this is a company policy should they want an explanation of why you are not permitted to use a cell phone for any reason while operating a vehicle. It is permissible to state that this is a policy enacted for the safety of everyone on the road due to the dangers of distracting driving, including talking on a cell phone or texting while driving.

Consequences of failure to adhere to this Distracted Driving Policy are:  

(This area to be completed by employer)

Employee Pledge 

I acknowledge that I have reviewed the Distracted Driving Policy. I fully understand the terms of this Policy. I agree to abide by these terms, and I am willing to accept the consequences of failing to follow this policy.

Employee Signature

Employee Name (printed)

Date

Employer Signature

Business Company Name

Date