NAFA CEO Phil Russo, CAE was recently interviewed by the advocacy group End Distracted Driving (EndDD for short) aimed at ending talking and texting behind the wheel. In the course of the conversation, Russo gave his personal thoughts on distracted driving, as well as discussed NAFA's zero-tolerance policy when it comes to such behavior. As the CEO of an association that deals with about 3.7 million vehicles, Russo felt implementing such a policy was a "no-brainer."
You can download NAFA's Distracted Driving Position Piece by clicking here.
"We're trained like Pavlov's dog to look at these phones," he said. "It takes literally less than one second to look at your phone and be off the road, dead. That's the powerful message that everyone needs to hear." Russo went on to explain how distracted driving has become an "epidemic."
"It's happening everywhere," Russo said. "On every street, in every car, with every millennial, generation x, generation y, it's happening everywhere." He said he has been known to motion to other drivers to put down their phones when stopped next to someone taking a call behind the wheel. Even though these drivers usually respond by flipping New Jersey's other state "bird."
That is why Russo and NAFA's Board of Trustees have implemented a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to distracted driving. Simply put, NAFA members and employees are prohibited from using a cell phone, even on a Bluetooth or hands-free device, when behind the wheel of their car. Instead, they are required to pull over to a safe location, turn off their vehicle, and return to the road once their conversation has ended. This also applies to texting, surfing the Internet, and responding to email.
To read Russo's full interview, please click here. You can also learn more about End Distracted Driving by visiting EndDD.org.