Compared to personal motorists, commercial truck drivers are 23 times more likely to cause an accident when texting at the wheel, seven times more likely when reaching for their electronic devices, and six times more likely when dialing a phone, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Traffic Safety Facts.
While the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has imposed strict mobile phone restrictions for commercial motor vehicle drivers, cell phone use continues to be a common risky behavior in the industry, explained NoCell Technologies and insurance provider Nationwide.
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In a newly announced partnership, Nationwide’s commercial fleet customers will now have access to NoCell’s distracted driving management platform. NoCell’s technology helps remove distraction risks by disabling disruptive apps and cell phone capabilities while drivers are rolling, enabling carriers to carry out their custom mobile device policies with their fleets. NoCell’s user data shows a more than 70% reduction in phone handling events after 10 days of use with customers.
“Trucking businesses have more advanced technology and safety cultures than ever before to reduce risks for drivers and the motorists around them, but it continues to be a challenge for risk managers to enforce mobile phone policies,” said Gary Flaherty, senior vice president of E&S commercial auto at Nationwide. “We’re thrilled about this new partnership with NoCell to help hone in on those dangerous distraction risks as we deliver extraordinary risk mitigation for our customers complemented by deep industry expertise to protect them mile after mile.”
Fleet managers will have the ability to choose which apps their drivers have access to while the vehicle is in motion. The NoCell solution—compatible with both Android and IOS—uses an app on the driver’s device, a NoCell tag connected to the vehicle, and a back-end system to detect when vehicles are in motion, disable unauthorized mobile phone capabilities, and alert fleet managers when phone handling events take place.
“The commercial driver has never been more important to our economy and country than they are today,” said Sam Inman, CEO at NoCell Technologies. “We are excited for this partnership with Nationwide and the opportunity to extend the reach and deliver our best-in-class distracted driving mitigation platform to their customers.”
