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CHICAGO, March 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ is supporting a campaign, sponsored by the , to draw attention to distracted driving, and provide ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ customers with information to address the risks of distracted driving to their employees and their businesses, and how the dangers to loss can be controlled. According to the NSC, car crashes are the leading cause of workplace death, and NSC estimates a quarter of all crashes involve cell phones.

"Distracted driving has a significant impact on both employee safety and employer liability," said Bill Boyd, Senior Vice President, Risk Control, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½. "Regardless of the industry, companies are responsible for ensuring driver safety any time an employee drives on company business. By teaming up with the National Safety Council, we're combining ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½'s professionals' knowledge and experience to minimize accidents and better manage our customers' liability exposures with NSC's advocacy initiatives to help employers play a leading role in ending distracted driving by putting cell phone policies and safety programs in place."

As part of ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½'s campaign, is providing 10 tips to reduce distracted driving:

• Tip 1: Issue a written company policy on avoiding all distractions and cellphone use while driving.
• Tip 2: Prohibit the use of cellphones when operating any vehicle on company business.
• Tip 3: Use cell-blocking technology for cellphones in company-owned vehicles.
• Tip 4: Require drivers to be legally parked if they want to use a cellphone from their vehicle.
• Tip 5: Implement a discipline program for violation of in-vehicle behavior and cellphone policies.
• Tip 6: Allow voicemail to handle calls.
• Tip 7: Allow a passenger in the vehicle to handle calls.
• Tip 8: Notify callers via voicemail when employees are driving that they are not available to answer the call and will return calls when it is safe to do so.
• Tip 9: Encourage employees to inform regular callers of their driving schedules and when they are available to talk.
• Tip 10: While driving, remind employees to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes and minds on the road.

Additionally, these guides provide additional resources in managing driver and fleet exposures: 

Take the NSC's Focused Driver Challenge and Additional information on distracted driving resources can be found at or .Ìý

About ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½
Serving businesses and professionals since 1897, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ is the country's eighth largest commercial insurance writer and the 14th largest property and casualty company. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½'s insurance products include standard commercial lines, specialty lines, surety, marine and other property and casualty coverages. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½'s services include risk management, information services, underwriting, risk control and claims administration. For more information, please visit ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ at . "ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½" is a service mark registered by ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Financial Corporation with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Certain ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Financial Corporation subsidiaries use the "ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½" service mark in connection with insurance underwriting and claims activities.

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CONTACT:
Brandon Davis, 312-822-5167 / 312-834-6091
Sarah Pang, 312-822-6394 / 312-607-5544

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