WATERFORD, Wis., April 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile phones are critical to business productivity. Yet, when used while driving, mobile phones pose a serious danger to employees and an expensive liability to the businesses that employ them. Runzheimer International today announced a partnership with ZoomSafer to provide leading edge safe driving solutions to corporate and government organizations. Runzheimer International, the leader in workforce mobility programs, works with nearly 60 percent of the Fortune 500 and numerous government agencies across the country.

New survey results for 2010 from CTIA Wireless show a wireless phone penetration rate in the U.S. of 96 percent, up from 91.2 percent the year prior. Instead of talking, subscribers are texting and browsing.  SMS text messages jumped 31 percent, translating to 2.052 trillion sent last year which is up from 1.563 trillion the year before, while MMS multimedia messages rose 64 percent to 56.6 billion. Despite new cell phone laws across the country, research shows that distractions from mobile phones cause 1,643 crashes, 904 injuries and 13 deaths per day.  Many of these accidents are related to business drivers, costing employers an average of more than $24,500 per crash, $150,000 per injury and $3.6 million per fatality.  Due to the risk and high costs associated with distracted driving, U.S. corporations are increasingly exploring alternatives for implementing policies to determine what employees can and cannot do with their mobile phones while driving.

"In a world dependent on mobile communications and messaging, organizations need a more formal approach for safe, legal and policy-compliant use of mobile phones," said Greg Harper, president of Runzheimer International.  "Our partnership with ZoomSafer helps our customers develop and enforce mobile phone policies to promote safety and realize cost savings on insurance premiums, medical expenses, wage losses, and workers' compensation claims."

Solutions Guide Employees Use of Cell Phones While Driving

Runzheimer International is offering the following solutions through its partnership with ZoomSafer:

• FleetSafer Vision is the world's first cloud-based, data mining service that integrates driver trip data (logs, location, speed, miles, etc.) with mobile device usage data (phone calls, text messages, etc.) and other information (email logs, weather, traffic, etc.) so fleet operators can measure and remediate risky driver behavior and reinforce good behavior.
• FleetSafer Mobile is a patented enterprise application that detects when the user is driving and automatically puts the phone into safe drive mode. While in safe drive mode, inbound alerts are suppressed and the phone's keypad and screen are locked to eliminate the dangerous temptation to text, email or dial while driving. Additionally, ZoomSafer offers a variety of customizable and hands-free services so users can stay connected with friends, family and co-workers while driving.

"A great company with a long history of innovation, Runzheimer is uniquely positioned to offer our products to both business drivers across a broad range of industries and government agencies," said Matt Howard, Founder and CEO of ZoomSafer. "We look forward to helping our joint customers address the growing challenges associated with employee use of mobile phones while driving."

About Runzheimer International

Founded in 1933, Runzheimer International serves 60 percent of the Fortune 500 and numerous government agencies. Recognized for providing innovative solutions relating to Total Employee Mobility®, Runzheimer is the global leader in workforce mobility programs including business vehicle, business travel, corporate aircraft, employee relocation and compensation, and virtual office.  For more information, please visit www.runzheimer.com

About ZoomSafer

ZoomSafer is a leading provider of enterprise software to prevent distracted driving. FleetSafer™ solutions enable employers to measure, manage and enforce cell phone usage policies to reduce crashes, risk, liability and expense. For more information, please visit www.zoomsafer.com

SOURCE Runzheimer International