Fackler Urges Fleets to Enforce 3 Leadership Checks to Curb Distracted Driving

3 articles · Updated · FreightWaves · May 12

3 questions should guide fleet safety efforts, Mike Fackler said: whether distracted-driving policies are clear, expectations are consistently reinforced, and leadership is actively involved.
Federal rules already ban hand-held mobile-device use by commercial drivers and impose significant penalties on both drivers and carriers, but Fackler said compliance alone misses broader pressures from schedules, dispatch demands and constant connectivity.
Leadership behavior shapes what drivers see as acceptable, he said, arguing executives and dispatchers who text, call or make exceptions for top performers weaken safety culture long before distraction reaches the cab.
Safety culture affects more than crash risk in freight, with Fackler linking stronger accountability to insurance results, regulatory standing and public perception as communication and technology pressures keep intensifying.

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