Save Your Employees: Putting an End to Driver Distractions with Tim McCarty

Public Risk Management

Tim McCarty is the Associate Vice President of Trident Public Risk Solutions with 25 years of experience serving public entity clients. Obtaining several certifications specific to risk consults listen in as he discusses ways to put an end to driver distractions. In the last year driving fatalities have increased by 8% which is the highest level it has been in 12 years – originally safer roads and safety features within car structures helped decrease driving accidents and fatalities. Poor driving behaviors has become the majority reason there are so many accidents and fatalities on the road. Tim shares some of the most common distractions that drivers have – because of their own choices. The idea that you can multitask while driving is not accurate. As a human being can not fully and mentally do two tasks at once. You might be looking at the road in front of you but as you talk on the phone your focus and attention is on that conversation. You are not fully aware of your surroundings or the environment you are in and therefore can miss any number of things, a stop sign, child crossing the road, road changes or updates. Common Driver Distractions: • Eating and Drinking behind the wheel • Smoking • Programming a navigating system • Cell phones Distractions from cell phones account for 30% of collisions on the roadway and those that are only directly identifiable as not everyone admits to being distracted by their phone after the accident.