At Minuteman Parking Company we have valets who drive guest vehicles and Shuttle Drivers that transports guests and patients. It is common knowledge that the number one cause of work-related fatalities is vehicle accidents. As a valet or shuttle driver you face the hazards of the roadway day after day.  Sometimes a trip may end tragically.

Now cellular phones threaten to increase the accident potential for all drivers.  As the cellular phones advance with technology we see new threats that come with using your cell phones while working. Minuteman Parking Company’s policy states that valets, shuttle drivers and cashiers must leave their cell phone in their vehicles while they are at work. According to one research study, the use of cellular phones while driving has increased the risk of being involved in an accident by 34%. The US Department of Transportation reports an increased number of complaints about drivers talking on their cellular phones while operating a vehicle. Critics of these studies argue that the research is poor. But in most States you can be fined talking on your cellular phone with a hands free device and in other states you can be fined for texting.  People say that having a cellular phone in a vehicle is an advantage when there is an emergency.

What do you think?

Some hazards that have been associated with cellular phone use include:    

• Passengers in the car often alert drivers to dangerous situations. The person you are talking to does not know what the situations are that you are dealing with.
• People who are on the phone are more likely to have intense conversations which will distract them from driving the vehicle properly.
• Users are said to be distracted and not driving defensively. The driver is less responsive to the traffic situations.
• Drivers who are on the phone are said to have a longer response time to traffic situations.

Here are a few safety reminders

• Leave your cell phone in your vehicle while you are at work.
• If you are on your 30 minute meal break and driving your vehicle keep your phone conversations short and sweet.
• If you are driving to work and you are in tricky traffic situations hang up your phone.
• Safe driving takes precedence over telephone etiquette.
• Try to resist dialing a number while driving in heavy traffic. Wait till you are at a stop light.
• Keep even more distance between you and the vehicle in front of you if your cellular phone.
• Remember in most states like California, you have to use a “hands-free” device. If you do not have one then you should not be using your cellular phone while driving.

All drivers are at risk of having a vehicle accident before, during or after work, and the use of a cell phone may increase this risk. Concentrate on the above reminders! Don’t become a statistic!