Fleet Operations warns employers over smartwatch driver distraction risks

Fleet Operations has warned employers that smartwatches connected to workplace technology could pose an overlooked driver distraction risk, urging businesses to review their driving-for-work policies.

The fleet management specialist says wearable technology should be included in occupational road risk assessments, particularly where employees’ smartwatches are connected to company smartphones, work email accounts and messaging platforms.

Notifications such as emails, messages and calendar reminders can appear directly on a driver’s wrist, potentially diverting attention from the road even when a mobile phone remains untouched.

Tony Greenidge, Head of Driver Risk Management at Fleet Operations, said: “Most organisations have clear policies covering mobile phone use behind the wheel, but smartwatches can easily fall outside these controls.

“When a smartwatch is connected to work email, messaging platforms or a company phone, it can effectively bring workplace notifications directly into the vehicle.

“A vibrating watch displaying a message, email or other alert may seem less intrusive than a mobile phone, but it can still divert a driver’s attention at a critical moment.”

Fleet Operations is encouraging employers to review existing fleet safety policies to ensure wearable devices are specifically addressed, rather than relying solely on rules covering mobile phone use.

Recommended measures include disabling smartwatch notifications while driving, raising employee awareness of distraction risks and establishing clear expectations around the use of wearable technology behind the wheel.

Greenidge added: “Workplace technology is evolving quickly, so employers need to make sure their driving-for-work policies keep pace.

“Driver distraction is not simply about whether someone is holding a phone. Anything that takes a driver’s eyes, hands or concentration away from the task of driving can increase risk.”

The warning follows Department for Transport figures showing that mobile device use was recorded as a contributory factor in 3.2% of fatal road collisions in Great Britain during 2025.

Fleet Operations says businesses should regularly assess emerging technologies and how they are used by employees who drive for work, ensuring road safety policies remain relevant as workplace devices evolve.

“Smartwatches linked to workplace systems are a good example of how the technology employees use can change faster than the policies designed to manage the risks,” Greenidge concluded.