KCATA tough on distracted driving

It’s National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, so this is as good a time as any to give our riding public some insight about what we do to keep our operators and employees focused on the road.

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority takes distracted driving seriously, which is why we've taken some very aggressive steps to ensure that a smartphone doesn’t get between our employees and driving safely.

Safety is our top priority, which is why we ban KCATA employees from using cell phones or any other personal electronic device under certain conditions.

Let’s look at when cell phones are banned for our employees:

• Employees are barred from using personal electronic devices — cell phones, pagers, portable audio systems etc. — when driving any Authority vehicle. The ban also applies to employees operating tools and maintenance equipment.
• Employees are prohibited from using a cell phone while driving any vehicle while on KCATA business or representing the Authority. The ban applies to personal and agency vehicles.
• Employees are not allowed to use a cell phone while driving a vehicle on KCATA property.

The KCATA urges bus operators to check their voice mail and return calls, texts and emails after pulling off the road at a safe location. For bus operators, a safe location can be at the end of the line or a designated staging area.

We encourage our operators to only use a bus radio when it’s safe. They are advised not to use a radio in unsafe or risky situations such as driving in a construction or school zone and in areas where there is a high volume of pedestrian traffic.

Bus operators are instructed to always keep their eyes on the road while driving. They are never to use a bus radio during bad weather or congested traffic conditions. While drivers are not permitted to ignore a dispatcher’s call, they are told to stop and secure the bus at the next bus stop before using the radio.

The KCATA works hard to prevent distracted driving. We hope you do, too, when you’re behind the wheel of your car. Together we can keep our roads safe.