There is a long but very compelling article in today’s NY Times about the risks of multi-tasking while driving.  This is an important issue for employers, who may ultimately be liable for damages caused by employees who are involved in accidents while talking on the phone or texting.   In one case highlighted in the article, International Paper paid $5.2 million to settle a claim brought by a driver whose arm was amputated after being hit by an Int’l Paper employee who was talking while using a hands-free handset.  Imagine the settlement value if the plaintiff had been killed, or the employee had been texting!

The article makes two different arguments for banning multi-tasking.  The first, and most obvious one, is based on safety:  drivers who are talking or texting are distracted and therefore less safe drivers.  The second, however, is based on productivity:  the decisions that one makes while multi-tasking may not be as good as those made when not multi-tasking.  New research shows that the brain can perform only one difficult task at at time.   A 2006 UCLA study shows that multi-taskers were less effective learners, concluding “Don’t multitask while you are trying to learn something new you hope to remember.”   (Tell that to my teenage boys.)  In the same vein, a driver may be at a disadvantage while negotiating a contract with someone who is not multi-tasking.  

In the end, the companies that have thoroughly studied the issue, like Exxon Mobil and Potash, have concluded that a ban on multi-tasking while driving has had no noticeable impact on employee productivity.

So your challenge for the day: should your company implement a policy that bans cellphone use while driving for work?  Discuss among yourselves.