Because the number of people that send text messages has more than tripled within the last 10 years, there has been an increased demand for ways to deter texting while driving. When cell phones first came out, they were extremely expensive. Very few people had the loans to make making calls that cost ten dollars per minute. Over time, the amount of a phone call on a cell phone came down significantly, and from there texting was developed, and introduced. The previous texting charges were similar to those for making phone calls, but once again prices fell to where just about anyone could afford a cell phone that also had texting capabilities. Today, more, and more people are using their cell phones to send text messages to one another. Also, there are more, and more companies using this technology to send text message advertising to all those cell phone owners. Unfortunately, not everyone waits until they are in a safe location in order to send a text message.
Many people try to send text messages while driving their automobile, which can greatly increase their chances of having an accident. People sending text messages to each other while driving is definitely not a safe practice, but companies are finding that many of their field employees will send text messages while driving, even if its company policy not to do so. This kind of practice puts many firms at risk of a lawsuit if one of their field employees has a wreck while texting during a trip to, and from a client. Some companies have tried to escalate the level of penalties of texting while driving on company to time all the way up to termination, but it still poses a problem for many companies. If you find that your employees often try to text while driving, here are a few resources to help you deal with this situation … ZoomSafer and AegisMobility.
- ZoomSafer is a website that offer companies technologies that helps to block texts, emails, and app usage on company cell phones while driving. This website also offers resources to help monitor employee actions of distracted driving.
- AegisMobility automatically routes incoming calls to voice mail, and blocks outgoing calls while an employee's vehicle is in motion – access to emails, and incoming text messages are only allowed when the vehicle has been stopped.
If you are having problems with getting your employees to wait until they are in a safe area before they operate their cell phone, these two websites are definitely worth checking out.
