Distracted driving continues to be one of the most preventable risks facing government fleets, yet crashes, near misses, and costly collisions still occur every day. At this year’s Government Fleet Expo, a powerful panel of experts shared how agencies can better protect their drivers, roadside workers, and communities.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the most important insights and actions government fleets can take right now.
1. Use Connected-Vehicle Alerts to Cut Through Distraction
Tim Adams of HAAS Alert opened the session by showing just how disconnected most roadways really are. Work zones, emergency vehicles, and public-works crews operate with flashing lights and signs, but drivers buried in distraction often never see them.
His solution: real-time digital alerts delivered directly into vehicles.
These alerts give motorists 10–20 seconds of added awareness, dramatically reducing struck-by incidents and improving Move Over compliance. For agencies with roadside workers, the value is immediate: fewer risks, fewer injuries, fewer claims.
2. Pair Telematics With Clear Policies and Real Coaching
Former NYC Deputy Chief Fleet Officer Eric Richardson shared what worked in one of the nation’s largest municipal fleets.
His advice:
Telematics identifies risky behavior, but only if you act on it.
Mobile-device policies must be simple, specific, and enforceable.
Training isn’t annual, it’s ongoing.
NYC’s approach focused on a cycle: identify → coach → reinforce. This lowered collisions, improved driving habits, and helped the city build a stronger safety culture.
3. Understand the Human and Financial Stakes
Robert Martinez, retired NYPD Deputy Commissioner, reminded fleets that distracted driving crashes have consequences far beyond vehicle damage.
From NHTSA’s 2023 data:
3,275 people were killed in distracted-driving crashes
611 of them were pedestrians or cyclists
13% of all U.S. crashes involved distraction
He also highlighted the economic cost: distracted-driving crashes account for $98 billion in annual losses. For a 250-vehicle fleet, investing in training, telematics, and modern systems can yield a 19% ROI, proving safety is not an expense, but a strategic investment.
4. Bring Humanity Back Into Driver Training
The session closed with a reminder of why this work matters: behind every statistic is a story.
One example was the story of Jacy Good, whose parents were killed and who was permanently injured when a distracted driver triggered a catastrophic crash in 2008. Behind every statistic is a family that never gets to go back to how life was.
The discussion emphasized that:
Drivers change behavior when training includes an emotional connection.
Real stories make distracted driving feel personal, not theoretical.
Training, policies, and technology save lives only when leadership commits to
consistent reinforcement.
The final takeaway was that training is not expensive, it’s priceless, and distracted driving is preventable. Government fleets have the tools, data, and real-world examples needed to protect workers, drivers, and communities, but only action saves lives.
