Every year 1.6 million motor vehicle accidents are linked to phone use while driving, according to the National Safety Council. More concerning is that, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 14 percent of fatal crashes are linked to cell phone use.
Texting or talking on the phone, eating, drinking, and smoking are the leading distracted driving behaviors, and they are costing pest control companies higher insurance premiums, lost revenue and productivity, and more expensive and protracted legal actions. They are also leading to injuries to employees and the public.
Nozzle Nolen, a third-generation family-owned company based in West Palm Beach, Florida, experienced first-hand the pain caused by a distracted driving related accident and decided to do something about it.
Jason Miller, project manager for Nozzle Nolen who oversees safety training, said three years ago a former service manager was involved in an at-fault accident with extensive damage and injuries in a company vehicle. The vehicle was equipped with an older drive cam system and the manager removed the camera’s SD card before the police and his supervisor arrived.
“The accident and ensuing fall out opened the eyes of management as to the risks involved with distracted driving,” said Miller. “Driving with a cell phone is no different than driving with a blindfold.”
Nozzle Nolen owner Mickey Nolen put his foot down and rewrote the company’s cell phone usage policy to ban their use while driving company vehicles.
“The accident should have never happened,” said Nolen. “We always prided ourselves on being a safety-conscious company, and it didn’t happen in this case.”
Nolen said the company had gotten a little lax in enforcing the original policy with service supervisors and technicians, but the seriousness of the accident made them take a hard look at changing a behavior that is ingrained in society.
CHALLENGE
According to research published by the National Institutes of Health, on average it can take 66 days for a person to change a behavior or break a habit provided the right guidance is provided. That time can vary depending on what the habit is and how consistently new, positive habits designed to replace them are repeated.
In Florida, texting and driving is illegal and while Bluetooth enabled devices are legal under state law, Nozzle Nolen’s policy banned their usage by employees while using one of the company’s 80 service vehicles.
The company faced two main challenges in implementing the ban:
1.) Cell phones and tablets have become an ingrained habit not only for business but in daily life. Everyone feels the need to respond immediately to a call, text, or alert.
2.) Securing buy-in from service managers (who were responsible for enforcing the policy with technicians) to overcome the perception that productivity would drop, and that they would lose sales if cell phones were banned.
The company emphasized that the safety of employees, customers and the public trumped any concerns about technician productivity or sales and used data analytics to prove it.
“Our service managers are the ones who need to contact technicians during the day with changes to their schedules, so it had to start with them,” said Nolen.
Through analysis of cell phone usage data collected by the Samsara vehicle telematics system, Nozzle Nolen determined that most calls were personal, not business related. Once this data was shared with employees it made it easier to debunk the perception and present the reality.
“Sales were not being lost or customers inconvenienced because a call or text message was not returned within five minutes,” said Miller. “The message started getting across that they can work safely without cell phones.”
SOLUTIONS
When Nozzle Nolen rewrote its cell phone policy in 2023 it included clear consequences for employees violating the rules. They adopted a three-strike approach that included:
1.) A written warning is given to the employee.
2.) A second, final warning is given, and employees are required to successfully complete a state of Florida approved wireless communications course at their own expense. Employees can take the course on company time with a manager present, and a certificate of completion must be presented to HR.
3.) A third violation of the policy will result in the employee’s termination.
The company knew, however, that they could not rely solely on the punitive aspects of the policy to achieve their goal and that consistent training and education would be a significant part of the process.
“We moved away from relying only on punishment to get the message across and centered the conversation on employees getting home safely each evening,” said Miller.
New hires undergo EOS Safe Driver training during the onboarding process and Nolen himself shares old dashcam videos of accidents to show new hires where mistakes have been made behind the wheel. The company also dedicates time each month to driver safety training in addition to its annual mandatory training on the topic. Posters reinforcing the policy and safe driving habits are featured in each branch office and the company also purchased holders for approved GPS devices.
The previously mentioned Samsara system also plays a critical role in the education and enforcement process.
“Technicians know when they pick up phone the Samsara system will log it and they’ll be asked about it,” said Miller.
The company has also installed the Lifesaver app on all its company issued cell phones. The app allows drivers to use navigation apps but prevents texting and phone calls. While the company can’t require its usage, employees are strongly encouraged to use the app to discourage phone usage while on the job.
RESULTS
Starting with the initial no cell phone policy three years ago and with the addition of the three-strike policy and deployment of the Samsara system, Nozzle Nolen has seen a noticeable drop in distracted driving incidents. In fact, the company has had zero-at-fault accidents caused by its drivers during this time.
The company’s overall driving score (as measured by Samsara) has improved and there have been fewer dangerous driving related incidents.
“Our safe driving scores really kicked in when we stepped up enforcement and went deeper in measuring driving behavior,” said Miller.
To successfully implement a no cell phone policy, companies must determine what works for them and what are the non-negotiables. They also need to understand that it is an ever-evolving process as telematic technology continues to improve and state laws continue to change.
There must also be alignment from the top down, and consistent and equal enforcement of the policy with all employees.
“The moment you make a concession to the policy, you undermine its effectiveness,” said Miller. “It will not be easy at first but the end result – getting our people home at night safely – is well worth the effort."
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Comments 1
Our PestSure members have been doing so much hard work related to diminishing and eliminating distracted driving within their fleets. This is a prime example. Great work Nozzle Nolen!