Smartphone at the wheel, the office reaches the car | formulapassion.it

The use of cell phones in the car is becoming more and more a problem, especially since very often the use made of them is for professional reasons. In practice the office extends up to the steering wheel of the car. This is highlighted by a study published in Germany and distributed by the website Haufe.de. where it is underlined that due to the use of the telephone, accidents 'in itinere', i.e. when going from home to work and vice versa, are increasing.

The analysis of the latest available data, that of 2022, indicates that there were 73,069 'commuting' accidents in Germany, of which 234 were fatal, 16 more than the previous year. The reasons for this high number of accidents – we read in the report – are essentially individual and therefore linked to factors that the companies themselves cannot or can hardly influence. However, we read in the Haufe.de report, research carried out in the United States shows that the problem of distraction is greater on business trips than on private ones. This is because in addition to conversations there are specific communications for professional activity.

Appointments and work projects that affect the day are increasingly discussed and coordinated during the car ride, which requires the full attention of the employee on the road. Furthermore, the professional use of smartphones outside of actual working hours is another element underlying the psychological stress generated in the work environment.

This further limits the concentration of employees or freelancers during the trip. As this study, published in the Journal for Medical Prevention, highlights, sometimes uninterrupted communication with smartphones – especially for those who work in the media, marketing, assistance, commerce, engineering and construction sectors – increases work stress and can lead to a reduction in attention and, consequently, more accidents 'in progress'.

However, there are other elements that work against the 'professional' use of smartphones in the car, such as the volume of working hours, the atmosphere in the company and even dissatisfaction with one's position or career. At an organizational level – the report concludes – the influence that the company culture can have on the attitudes, skills and behavior of employees is significant. The attitude and attention when driving – and therefore those towards smartphone risk – also depend on the safety climate perceived in the company itself.