1) Distracted driving from texting kills over 5,400 people and injures nearly 500,000 people each year in the US. 2) Texting while driving increases the risk of a crash dramatically and reaction time is delayed as much as if the driver was legally drunk. 3) OSHA is working with other government agencies to educate employers and workers about the dangers of texting while driving, and to establish policies prohibiting the practice, in order to increase road safety.

1. Dangers of distracted driving Healthier Workers
I Distracted driving crashes killed more Safer Workplaces
DISTRACTED
DRIVING:
than 5,400 people and injured nearly A Stronger America.
500,000 in 2009.
NO TEXTING
I Researchers report that texting while
driving claimed more than 16,000 lives “It is well recognized
from 2001 to 2007.
that texting while driving
I Reaction time is delayed for a driver dramatically increases the
talking on a cell phone as much as it is
for a driver who is legally drunk. risk of a motor vehicle injury
I Drivers who are texting take their eyes
or fatality. We are asking
off the road 400% more than when they employers to send a clear
are not texting.
message to workers and MORE WORKERS
I More texting leads to more crashes. With supervisors that your
each additional 1 million text messages,
fatalities from distracted driving rose company neither requires ARE KILLED
more than 75%. nor condones texting EVERY YEAR IN
while driving.”
MOTOR VEHICLE
David Michaels, PhD, MPH
CRASHES THAN ANY
DRIVING &
Assistant Secretary
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration OTHER CAUSE.
TEXTING
If you have questions or need more information, Businesses can
contact OSHA at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742).
TTY 1-877-889-5627. help solve this
Occupational
big problem.
Safety and Health
Administration
OSHA 3416-02N-11

2. Workers’ safety is your business Safety at work is no accident How OSHA helps
Texting while driving puts millions of Building a workplace culture of safety OSHA’s distracted driving web page
Americans who drive on the job at risk requires clear, explicit policies and sound (www.osha.gov/distracted-driving/
every day. That risk continues to grow as practices. Send a clear message to workers index.html) provides useful resources,
texting becomes more widespread. and supervisors that your company neither including:
requires nor condones texting while driving. I a model policy to use or adapt for your
As a business owner or manager, it’s your business
legal responsibility under the Occupational Employers should: I information about how employers are
Safety and Health Act to safeguard drivers combating this hazard
at work.
I Prohibit texting while driving. OSHA
encourages employers to declare their I research findings
vehicles “text-free zones” and to empha- I educational materials
This holds true whether they drive full-time size that commitment to their workers,
or only occasionally to carry out their work, customers, and communities.
and whether they drive a company vehicle The U.S. Department of Transportation
or their own. When your workers are I Establish work procedures and rules that website (www.distraction.gov) provides
behind the wheel doing your company’s do not make it necessary for workers to updates and information on the national
work, their safety is your business. text while driving in order to carry out campaign to prevent distracted driving.
their duties.
Additional assistance
That’s why the Occupational Safety and I Set up clear procedures, times, and
Health Administration (OSHA), which places for drivers’ safe use of texting and OSHA’s consultation program can help
enforces worker safety laws, has joined other technologies for communicating small and medium-sized businesses, at no
with the Transportation Department, other with managers, customers, and others. cost, keep workers safe by providing:
Labor Department agencies and key I free and confidential advice
associations and organizations to enlist the I Incorporate safe communications practices
help and cooperation of businesses – large into worker orientation and training. I on-site consultation
and small – in a nationwide outreach, edu- I assistance with identifying workplace
cation, and enforcement effort to stop the I Eliminate financial and other incentive hazards
dangerous practice of texting while driving. systems that encourage workers to text
I advice on compliance with OSHA
while driving.
standards
OSHA is prepared to act quickly. When I assistance with safety and health programs
OSHA receives a credible complaint that an
DRIVING
employer requires texting while driving or
To learn more about how OSHA can help,
organizes work so that texting is a practical
visit www.OSHA.gov or call OSHA at
necessity, we will investigate and will issue
DISTRACTED
1-800-321-OSHA (6742). TTY 1-877-889-5627.
citations and penalties where necessary to
end this practice.