Nationwide News: Tech helps reduce phone-related distracted driving

February 26, 2025

The following information is provided by Nationwide®, the No. 1 farm and ranch insurer in the U.S.*

Implementing a distracted driving policy is a critical step toward managing cellphone use of vehicle operators, addressing a leading cause of vehicle accidents. While having a distracted driving policy is a requirement, it does not guarantee your drivers will follow it. This is evident by the continual use of hand-held phones and texting in states that prohibit it.

A driver that knowingly violates their organization’s policy may negatively impact the organization’s defense in an accident, no matter who was at fault.

Many organizations are taking a proactive approach and are utilizing technological measures to control and monitor cellphone use. These solutions range from simple do-not-disturb-while-driving settings on a phone, to full software or telematics solutions that can lock down all phones or monitor phone use.

Locking down a phone

Phone lockdown typically means restricting access to phone functions while driving. Exceptions may include:

• Hands-free calling.

• Calls to/from designated numbers, like dispatchers or managers.

• Access to Global Positioning System routing app screens.

• Music apps if set up before driving or integrated with the vehicle’s system.

• Emergency 911 calls.

Solutions include tags or devices in the organization’s vehicle that link to the driver’s phone, triggering the lock-down. The phone functions normally in other vehicles.

Limited functionality during specific hours or days is useful for drivers using their own vehicles for business.

The passenger indicator allows phone use when a passenger is present.

The automated response is: “I’m driving now and will respond when safely parked.”

Phone-use monitoring

Phone monitoring systems benefit organizations that allow phone calls while driving for critical purposes or hands-free calls. These systems provide:

• Calls and movement detection. They identify calls and track phone movement. The underlying idea is that any phone movement indicates distraction.

• Hands-free tracking. Some systems also monitor hands-free calls.

• Call frequency and duration tracking. They track the number and duration of calls.

• Distracted driving score. Drivers receive scores based on call frequency, duration and speed during calls.

• Management portal. Managers evaluate staff phone use through a portal, including driver and team scores and trip maps.

• Post-trip feedback. Drivers receive feedback via the app, showing their distracted driving score and where phone use occurred during the route. Encourages safer habits.

Solutions

Organizations may use Do-Not-Disturb-While-Driving, or DNDWD, features found in smartphones. They may also download an application with these features. For organizations that provide company phones, these apps are effective if the driver cannot disable them.

For organizations that do not provide phones, ensuring the DNDWD feature is enabled on an employee’s phone is difficult. Several major cell service providers allow lock-down administration of all phones that are part of a corporate account. An organization should contact their provider for specifics. Provider systems allow for easy administration and may be available as part of the service or at a very reasonable cost.

Enterprise solutions

Available from a growing number of vendors, enterprise solutions allow an organization to lock down or monitor phone use of any phone in which the app is downloaded. Typically, a tag or other device is positioned in the vehicle which connects to the app so tracking only occurs when in an organization vehicle. Enterprise solutions provide the most features, settings and flexibility. They can work with company and employee-owned phones.

To learn more, visit MyNSightOnline.com/drive-the-5.

Reprint with credit to California Farm Bureau. For image use, email barciero@cfbf.com.