The association previously took action in 2013 – initially by instituting ‘no device while driving’ positions in their employee policy – and says it’s now prohibiting the use of any electronic device – handheld or hands-all of its employees, contractors, and volunteers free – while engaged in the act of driving.

“There cannot be any ambivalence about our position, no hypocrisy, no loopholes. We are the association for fleet professionals, and so the example has to begin with us,” said NAFA chief executive officer Phillip Russo. “Our ‘no devices while driving’ policy has been in effect for two years internally, and now we are extending that insistence to our contractors and partners.”

The use of a cell phone – either handheld or hands-free – while driving makes it four times as likely that a driver will crash, according to The National Safety Council. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published a rule banning commercial truck and bus drivers from texting while driving and, by a separate rule in 2011, banned all hand-held cell phone use by commercial drivers; essentially, the fleet industry itself.

The position paper is being released in parallel with the official start of Drive Safely Work Week, run by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS).  The campaign, which takes place 5-9 October, contains numerous tips for businesses to use to remind their employees about important safety issues. 

“NAFA recognises this is a strong stance, and there may be other organizations that will not agree or abide by it, but it is the right step to take,” Russo said. “Change begins with us, and so we have chosen for this to no longer be open to discussion. It’s time to turn off the devices, focus on the task at hand, and bring safety and sanity back to our roads.”

NAFA’s Distracted Driving Position Statement can be downloaded at: http://www.nafa.org/safety