Traffic congestion is worsening every day and the in-car systems that call for our immediate attention become steadily more numerous. Both are just symptoms of the growing pace of modern life, but there's a danger inherent in their convergence that goes beyond heart disease and high blood pressure.

Distraction -- and fatigue, which can be related -- are significant contributors to the road toll. It's been a known constant in road trauma studies for years and that's why it's illegal to use a mobile phone while driving.

The problem isn't limited to Australia either. It's rampant throughout the developed world and not least of all in the US. Volvo in the States has stood up to be counted in the latest road safety initiative being mounted there: 'Distracted Driving Policies'.

According to a press release issued by the prestige manufacturer's American PR office, there are many 'consumer education campaigns' throughout the country, aimed at reducing the risks associated with distractions while driving.

Volvo, for its part, is calling for American employers to implement safe-driving policies in the workplace, where those employers run a fleet of company cars. Specifically -- and where there is no legislation already in place covering their use -- cellular (mobile) phones should be banned from operation in any company car being driven at the time.

Volvo itself already adheres to such a policy, which also demands that fleet drivers buckle up their seatbelts at all times while on the road -- something that is not mandatory in every state of the Union.

"We invented the three-point seatbelt, so it makes sense for Volvo to have employee policies for safe driving, but there is no reason other companies can't strengthen current policies or implement new ones," said Doug Speck, Volvo's North American president and CEO (pictured).

"Even if a very small percentage of employers bring attention to the issue of distracted driving, it could have a major impact on making our roadways safer."

Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveal that 5870 Americans died in crashes as a direct consequence of driver distraction in 2008. As many as 515,000 were injured for the same reason. The NHTSA admits that the number of casualties attributable to driver distraction may actually be significantly higher than those numbers, but they are the cases where driver distraction was reported.

Distraction has become an issue of sufficient magnitude to warrant a summit in Washington DC, held in September last year. Led by the US federal government's Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, the summit sought to bring the previously little recognised factor in road safety to the attention of the public. Subsequently, LaHood announced a ban on 'texting' by operators of commercial vehicles (trucks and buses). Volvo too bans texting in any of its vehicles.

The importer has published its Safe Operation of Company Vehicles policy online -- at http://www.volvoblog.us/ -- and welcomes employers to adopt its guidelines.

"Feel free to copy it word for word and make it part of your company's HR handbooks - the sooner the better," says Speck.

While the cellular phone is the current villain of the piece, where driver inattention is concerned, it's not alone. Volvo recommends against such activities that also work distract the driver and has named some of them. These include: eating, changing a CD, checking or programming route instructions, attending to kids, running late, arguing with passengers and -- as we learned from a member of the Carsales Network staff this morning, downloading a song on your iPhone!

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