Tips for Avoiding Collisions and Roadway Incidents
Your everyday driver doesn’t think twice about getting behind the wheel. To them, a car is simply a means to an end. Get in, fasten the seat belt, turn up the stereo, put the windows down, put the car in gear, and go. Driving is second nature; it’s a set of procedures like making a pot of coffee or setting the DVR to record a favorite show.
We’ve lost sight of the fact that cars, trucks, vans, and other roadway vehicles are actually tons of metal and plastic moving at incredibly high rates of speed. Put those two things together and simple laws of science tell you that the results of something going wrong on the roadway are not going to be good.
Because of the nature of their jobs, fleet drivers run a higher risk of being involved in a roadway incident. One UK study actually showed that 17% of fleets had experienced over 20 roadway incidents within the previous 12 months. Over 78% of survey respondents said that they’d experienced at least one incident which caused damage to a vehicle. [http://www.fuelimprove.com/blog/17-per-cent-of-fleets-had-over-20-incidents-in-the-last-few-months]
Thankfully, there are a lot of things that can be done to try to instill a focus on safety for your drivers. The first is, of course, to ensure that aggressive driving will simply not be tolerated. Not only is the driver putting his or her safety at risk, as well as the safety of those around them, but they are also giving your company a bad name to those that witness such behavior.
Drivers feel a sense of anonymity when they get behind the wheel. Even the most mild-mannered and calm person can become an aggressive monster once they get in the driver’s seat. That anonymity is replaced with your corporate logo and identity when it is your car, truck, or van being used to intimidate other drivers on the road.
Along with a focus on aggressive driving, drivers should be occasionally reminded of the need for extra stopping distance by their loaded vehicles. A driver may believe that he or she is following at a safe distance when, in reality, a sudden stop by the vehicle ahead of them would certainly result in a rear-end collision.
Attention should be given to roadway conditions, including temperature and weather as well as the overall condition of the road itself. Adjust driving techniques according to the needs that the current situation presents.
Drivers should be advised against driving when overly tired or drowsy or when taking medications which may result in drowsiness. In many cases, a driver involved in a roadway incident who tests positive for certain medications can be subject to a variety of legal repercussions. Make sure that you are aware of the laws of not only your home state but also any additional states or localities that your fleet may enter.
Lastly, fleet managers may consider the addition of recording equipment or dashcams in their vehicles. While not always admissible in court, the mere presence of the recording device in the vehicle may have a large and significant impact on the behavior of the driver.
Safety on the roadway is everyone’s responsibility. Corporate and non-corporate drivers alike should be held fully accountable and responsible for their actions when in command of their vehicles. But the public relations implications, not to mention the need for fleet managers to maximize the return on every cent spent on fleet operations, dictates the need for fleet drivers to be held to a higher standard.
Talk with your drivers today about what they can do to be as safe as possible on the nation’s roads.