In this episode of Ted Speaks, Ted and Barb, talk with Carly Baez, a safety manager and a member of the American Society of Safety Professionals. The discussion revolves around the issue of distracted driving, which is a major safety concern in the construction industry and beyond. Carly shares her experience in educating the public about distracted driving and discussed strategies for reducing distractions while driving. Carly also highlights the importance of combining work safety with public safety, and how laws alone are not enough to create a safer environment without proper training and education.

Behavior is often rooted in past experience and Carly shares her experience in creating a community challenge that addresses the behavior of distracted driving, rather than simply telling people to stop texting and driving. The challenge requires participants to hold their phones in their hands, face up, with the ringer and volume on, and ignore any calls or messages for 30 minutes. The goal is for people to experience and understand their own response style and relationship with their phones, which is crucial to changing the behavior behind distracted driving. Ted, Barb and Carly also share personal anecdotes about their own experiences with distractions while driving and the importance of this approach, as well as the difficulty of mentally shutting off the automatic response to phone notifications.

This episode provides valuable insights into how to address distracted driving and emphasizes the importance of creating awareness about distracted driving and promoting safe driving habits to keep employees and families safe.

References:

Safety FM

Total Health & Safety Solutions

Carly Baez