Turn off the cell phone while driving

Cell phones play an integral role in our society. However, the convenience they offer must be judged against the hazards they pose.

Many businesses are increasingly prohibiting workers from using cell phones while driving. The Insurance Information Institute, New York, cites both Exxon Mobil and Shell as examples of large companies that ban employees' use of cell phone while driving during work hours. The California Association of Employers, Sacramento, Calif., recommends that employers develop a cell phone policy that requires employees to pull off the road before conducting business by cell phone.

If a mere warning isn’t enough to make you consider such a policy, consider this sobering case: According to the III, in December 2007 International Paper Co. agreed to pay a $5.2 million settlement to a Georgia woman who was rear-ended by one of its employees. The employee was driving a company car and talking on a company cell phone at the time of the accident. The settlement was reached even though the employee had violated her company’s policy of requiring the use of hands-free headsets while driving. The suit is among the most recent of several cases where an employer has been held liable for an accident caused by a driver using a cell phone.

For more information on this or any other insurance topic, contact the program administrator for GlassInsure, NGA’s sponsored insurance program, at 800/640-7601.