For virtually all vocational fleet operators, your drivers and their performance behind the wheel are the biggest x-factors in your fleet equation. High-risk behavior from your drivers – speeding, aggressive driving, and harsh braking – not only increases costs throughout the entire vehicle lifecycle; it also exposes your company to ramifications that go well beyond accident repairs if you’re not addressing their performance while driving a company vehicle.
On average, approximately 20 percent of a company’s fleet will be involved in an accident each year – and each incident brings with it a significant cost to your company. In addition to direct costs such as medical bills and vehicle repairs, there are often several indirect costs – lost productivity, increased insurance premiums, potential legal liabilities, and negative publicity. In fact, according to the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, motor vehicle collisions costs employers more than $70 billion annually.
To keep your drivers safe, mitigate your company’s risk exposure, and minimize accident costs, you need to proactively build a culture of safety. To help you develop a comprehensive fleet safety program that aligns with the specific needs of your company, here are a few key factors to consider.
ESTABLISH GOALS AND SECURE ORGANIZATIONAL BUY-IN
As you begin to explore implementing a driver safety program (or look to adjust an existing program), you should start this process with a clear understanding of your current risk exposure. Begin by assessing the current state of your fleet operations and driver performance. Determine (to the best of your ability) your fleet’s accident rates. Are collision repair costs elevated and/or on the rise? Are there particular drivers who account for a significant portion of accidents?
With this insight, you can develop a strategy to address pain points and key areas of risk exposure. This information will also allow you to establish goals and measurements for success to ensure your safety program is having a positive impact.
Also be sure to keep in mind that driver safety is a challenge that transcends fleet and requires an unwavering commitment from your entire business. An organization that wants to adhere to best practices will embrace a top-down approach with all fleet stakeholders emphasizing the importance of driver safety.
If all fleet stakeholders are not aligned to the goals of your safety program, it will be incredibly challenging to foster a culture of safe driving. Responsibility for fleet safety should not rest solely with fleet personnel. Safety and performance expectations should be clearly defined, and all fleet stakeholders should be held accountable for upholding these performance standards.
ROADMAP FOR DRIVER SAFETY SUCCESS
Today, best in class fleet operators are leveraging multi-faceted programs to optimize fleet safety. To improve performance, mitigate risk, and reduce accident rates, a successful driver safety program should include the following elements:
- Properly set expectations for driving performance with an online fleet safety policy.
- Establish a personalized onboarding program for new drivers that includes a skills assessment program to identify poor driving habits and assigns corrective training before an incident occurs.
- Provide regularly recurring refresher training for drivers to keep skills sharp and safety top-of-mind.
- Continuously assess driver behavior using telematics and monitor MVRs on a consistent, on-going basis rather than just annually.
- When drivers exhibit risky behavior or an incident occurs, prescribe online training modules to match specific driver weaknesses to improve behavior.
The most effective approach to fostering a culture of safe driving is to use online training developed by safety experts. Well-constructed online training can be very engaging, interactive, and provides a consistent experience.
To maximize driver engagement, training should be personalized to the driver’s needs rather than generic training, such as a defensive driving course. For new hires, this means first assessing their skills then providing targeted training to improve skills needing development. For tenured employees, this means monitoring their driving performance and providing immediate, personalized training to address high-risk behaviors. For example, if a driver incurs a speeding offense, a speed management training module should be immediately assigned to the driver.
Once your safety program is well established, you can also leverage comprehensive metrics and reporting such as a driver scorecard to highlight trends and further engage your drivers in the program. You’ll also want to share this information with leadership and encourage them to continue to communicate the importance of driver safety and hold stakeholders accountable for results.
PITFALLS TO AVOID
Traditionally, many fleet operators have relied on a reactive approach to driver safety; an accident or driving infraction occurs and then corrective training is prescribed. Today, truly effective safety programs are built on a foundation of monitoring driving behavior in real-time using telematics and proactively addressing high-risk behavior to prevent collisions before they occur.
Additionally, while a comprehensive safety program built on a strong foundation of monitoring behavior and proactive training will help to mitigate risk, fleet operators also need to be mindful of the employees they put behind the wheel of company vehicles.
Emphasizing safety and mitigating risk should begin during the hiring process. Having a rigorous pre-hire screening process is critical to hiring the right candidates. Running a motor vehicle report on the candidate during the pre-hire process can bring to light any potential red flags such as a suspended license or previous DUI/DWI incident that is on their record which could be a potential liability exposure for your organization.
Finally, it is critical that you don’t let success or improvement lead to complacency. Ensuring driver safety requires consistent, long-term commitment to recommended best practices. If you become complacent and waiver on your commitment to safety, you’re inviting risks to creep back into your fleet operations.
LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE OPTICS
A comprehensive telematics program combined with a multi-faceted driver training strategy is still the best option to improve driver safety. The good news is that we continue to see a growing number of fleet operators embrace telematics and technology is evolving rapidly, allowing fleet operators to monitor driver behavior in new, innovative ways.
Telematics technology essentially puts you inside the vehicle with your drivers, allowing you to monitor performance and quickly identify high-risk behaviors. When this telematics data is integrated into an advanced analytics platform, you can easily benchmark driving performance across your entire organization to pinpoint high-risk drivers and highlight opportunities to prescribe corrective training.
Additionally, OEM-embedded telematics devices are becoming increasingly common, making it even easier for fleet operators to get started with telematics solutions. With this powerful technology now factory-installed in many popular fleet models, two of the biggest roadblocks companies typically face when exploring a telematics strategy have been eliminated – installation costs and logistics along with the associated vehicle downtime.
Video-enabled telematics devices are also now more widely available. In addition to providing all the benefits of a typical telematics unit, the video-enabled devices allow fleet operators to monitor in-cab driver behavior and easily identify incidents of distracted driving and other high-risk behavior. These units also typically feature both road-facing and cabin-facing cameras, providing valuable video evidence should an accident or other incident occur. Some units also provide speakers and/or displays to deliver real-time audio/visual coaching to further improve safety.
Advanced analytics have also significantly improved driver safety programs in recent years. This technology continues to fuel tools such as driver scorecards which deliver a comprehensive, real-time view of driver performance. For example, Holman’s proprietary driver scorecard integrates data from key areas such as accident reports, motor vehicle records, telematics devices, and risk assessment results to provide a holistic view of driver performance.
READY TO BUILD A CULTURE OF SAFETY?
Implementing a driver safety program can be a challenge for even the most veteran fleet professional. Most fleet managers simply lack the time and resources necessary to effectively monitor performance and proactively train their drivers. But remember, you don’t have to navigate this road alone and there are a variety of partners who can simplify your safety solution.
Most organizations are best served partnering with a fleet management provider who can help develop and efficiently administer a comprehensive safety program that drives meaningful improvement.
about the author
Tony Smith is the manager, driver safety at Holman. To learn more about Holman’s suite of driver safety services, visit www.holman.com.
