A growing number of employees are saying that their employer is not actively encouraging the safe and legal use of mobile phones while driving for work. Some astounding results were found after the AA did recent survey on 7,000 people
More than one in 20 (7%) Employees are feeling under more pressure to answer their hand-held work mobile when driving for work or commuting. 2% of employees even said they have been explicitly told they are expected to return emails, texts and calls when they are driving for work or commuting.
Even though people are often under considerable pressure to be available to their work at all times. They must realise that driving is the most dangerous task the majority of employees undertake while at work so feeling that you have to respond to calls, texts and emails when you are driving is an unnecessary risk.
Besides the dangers posed to the individual taking and receiving calls, texts or emails while driving, companies have a duty of care to employees they also run the risk of facing charges of corporate manslaughter in the worst case scenario.
Employers have a statutory duty of care and, besides the risk to their employees, they are putting themselves at risk of liability and criminal charges in the event of a crash if the company’s actions, or lack of them, is deemed to have contributed to the incident. This is a growing problem and should not be neglected.