In an effort to help policyholders prevent work-related vehicle accidents, Safety National has added a distracted driving course to MAP Client Services, the company’s suite of risk control offerings.

Using online simulation, the distracted driving course provides targeted training that addresses distracted driving awareness and safe driving techniques for fleet drivers.

The course covers important topics, including the negative effects of looking away from the road for more than two seconds, strategies for eliminating controllable distractions and how to adjust when the driver experiences distractions that he or she cannot control.

The course is designed to apply to all fleet drivers, regardless of vehicle type. It is intended to be a stand-alone session, with simple facilitation, and provides user-tracking reports through a learning management system.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 421,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver in 2012.

“Distracted driving is emerging as a major cause of work-related vehicle accidents,” said David Snodgrass, assistant vice president of risk control services at Safety National. “When these accidents occur, liability falls upon the employer for workers’ compensation benefits, vehicle repair costs and potential damages to third parties. Safety National’s Distracted Driving Course is designed to help reduce these risks for our policyholders while keeping their employees safe behind the wheel.”

Safety National’s Distracted Driving Course is available as a complimentary resource to all of Safety National’s policyholders. To download a brochure, click here.