Tips for truck drivers to handle increased distracted driving over Labor Day weekend

The upcoming three-day weekend will be celebrated with cookouts, sales, and travel across the U.S. The latter means that truck drivers will share the road with more drivers than usual—according to AAA, domestic travel over Labor Day weekend is expected to rise 9% compared to last year. But while traffic will be the obvious concern for fleets operating this long weekend, another problem is lurking: distracted driving.

What is the distracted driving forecast for Labor Day weekend?

Chris Hayes, AVP of workers compensation and transportation and risk control at Travelers, told FleetOwner that drivers this weekend will be distracted by the typical things—texts, phone calls, fatigue, stress, etc.—but there will be much more of it all.

“For these holidays, we tend to have people driving outside of their normal lane,” Hayes said. “You are driving, maybe to a beach or to a picnic or to a family get-together, which means you're driving outside the normal times you're driving, driving in different weather conditions, and all this adds up to a change in behaviors on the roadway.”

Hayes said drivers could be especially affected by fatigue this weekend from attending outdoor events in the heat, possibly without drinking enough water. While less talked about than technology, fatigue is another leading cause of distracted driving.

This increased level of distracted driving is a significant concern for fleets. The 2024 Travelers Risk Index, a survey of consumers and business leaders regarding distracted driving, found that 41% of business leaders in transportation believe that roads are less safe than they were a year ago. This statistic shows a higher level of concern about road safety compared to other business sectors, as only 33% of other business leaders think roads are less safe. The risk index also found that 65% of commercial transportation business leaders have some level of concern over liability caused by distracted driving.

When it comes to truck drivers themselves being distracted on the road, Chris Hayes of Travelers has two recommendations for fleets:

Have a strong safety culture: Be concerned about safety from the top, down. Safety should be as much a goal for dispatch and operations as it is for drivers. Let truck drivers do their jobs without interruptions or phone calls from the home office.
Actively manage your telematics systems: According to Hayes, it isn’t enough to just have a telematics system. Fleet managers need to be aware of any driving trends such as harsh braking or abrupt lane departures so that drivers can be coached as needed. If you have driver-facing cameras, use any videos to coach your drivers. But telematics can’t replace a safety culture; fleets need to have and use both.

How fleets can help their drivers stay safe and focused

Ahead of Labor Day weekend, fleets should talk with their drivers about handling other distracted drivers and avoiding being distracted themselves.

“We always want drivers on their A game, especially during weekends like this,” Hayes said. “Remind people that with holiday travel, with people driving in different conditions, there's going to be more risk, and so that extra level of diligence to their driving is important. With that in mind, that also means that commercial drivers need to be diligent about their own driving as well.”