According to statistics, more than eight million automobiles and trucks in America are part of a vehicle fleet. This is to means that managing the safety of drivers of those cars and all other drivers they meet on the road needs appropriate training on automobile operation and an awareness of the effects of unsafe driving. Lately, the number of road accidents and severity rates are rising due to congested roads, distracted drivers, and many other factors.
Based on research, an effective fleet safety program should entail the following elements:
Safety Policies and Guidelines
When making policies for your fleet safety, you should aim at addressing the different types of automobile operators, such as casual drivers. These should comprise of distracted driving policies like personal vehicle use, defensive driving, and safety restraints. Furthermore, all of these policies should be reviewed at least once a year to incorporate guidelines that will strengthen weak areas.
A Vehicle’s Repair and Maintenance Plan
Have a good idea of how to inspect, repair, and maintain your fleet. You can also get vehicle diagnostic tools from EyeRide Online to help you in this front. This helps in minimizing costly and abrupt breakdowns in your vehicles. Moreover, regular fleet maintenance assists in preventing crashes caused by faulty equipment. Experts cite that if the cost of maintenance becomes too expensive, it means that the vehicle has become unroadworthy and should be replaced.
Come Up with Emergency Response Techniques
Have a specific emergency and accident response protocol whereby drivers can ask for assistance in case of any issues. For instance, if an accident that involves your fleet occurs, ensure that the driver retains evidence and has the response team document what happened to minimize the occurrence of these accidents in the future.
Vetting and Training Your Drivers
Before recruiting any new drivers to your fleet, interview them to find out their driving habits from their previous workplace. Also check out their driving history, which includes their criminal record, the number, and severity of the driver’s moving violations, and any other claims of impaired driving.
To ensure that the driver meets the minimum standards, train the driver according to the fleet’s guidelines to make sure that he or she knows what is required of him or her while on the road. This promotes good driving habits and safe driving.
Driver Identification
Have a list of all of the drivers authorized to operate company-owned vehicles and their primary responsibilities. Moreover, know everyone who is authorized to use your cars off the clock for personal use. This will help you monitor your vehicles at any point, and in case of an accident, you can identify the driver.
Have Standard Operating Guidelines
This includes rules and regulations that all drivers must obey. Standard operating instructions must involve licensing requirements, drivers’ qualifications, accident procedures, and drivers’ roles and responsibilities.
If you’re new to this, you can indulge a seasoned logistician and a driver to help you formulate the policies. Remember to keep your team of drivers and support staff in the loop should you plan to amend the guidelines.
Go Digital
Technology has evolved over time and now we have tools that can do almost anything under human resource management. Implementing one of these applications into your fleet business can help you manage it better.
These applications will help you generate payroll reports or manage the driver’s leave program with ease. You can also access the data from anywhere as long as you’ve got internet and a smart device.
Conclusion
Although crashes cannot be avoided entirely, implementing a fleet safety program can assist your business, boost driver safety, and minimize or avoid substantial financial losses. This means that a fleet safety program should aim at addressing the risks that drivers encounter on the roads and ensure that the automobiles are safe to drive.
