The Central Shenandoah EMS Council Inc. announced its commitment to the safety of its employees and the local community by highlighting its policy on cell phone usage in company owned vehicles to help fight the epidemic of distracted driving.
The Council implemented a policy banning texting and use of cell phones by employees while driving in September of 2013. As a business providing education and regional planning for emergency medical services (EMS) to a geographic area of 3,439 square miles with a population of over 278,000 people, our Board of Directors and management felt it was important to set the example for others.
“Employee safety is the number one priority of the Council,” said Chad Blosser. “By creating this policy, we hope to not only keep our employees safe, but to do our part as responsible members of the community. We hope everyone in the Shenandoah Valley will join us in making our community safer by putting their phones down and focusing on the road.”
Distracted driving is an epidemic on America’s roadways. In 2012, 3,328 people were killed and an estimated 421,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver. Texting and cell phone use behind the wheel takes your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel, and your focus off driving – putting the driver and others in danger.
“As anyone who has lost a loved one in a crash can tell you, even one traffic fatality is one too many. We are committed to eliminating this unnecessary risk and strongly believe that no conversation or text is worth the potential danger,” added Blosser.
To learn more about the U.S. Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s effort to stop distracted driving, please visit distraction.gov.
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