Fleet Driver Safety Program: 7 Things to Consider

Operating a fleet of vehicles and heavy equipment comes with great responsibility, and there is no greater need for fleets than promoting safety. Creating the best fleet driver safety program is essential for any business or organization.

A driver safety program will help protect your drivers and your entire business from potential lawsuits and insurance costs. Remember, operating vehicles can often be a dangerous (sometimes fatal) job many take for granted.

With a rock-solid driver safety program, you and your drivers will have the peace of mind necessary to (safely) focus on your daily tasks.

Here's how to create the best fleet driver safety program to protect everyone on the road.

Fleet driver safety programs are designed to minimize the risks of operating motor vehicles. This includes reducing the number of accidents and incidents and improving driver safety and efficiency.

A high-quality fleet driver safety program will include regular vehicle inspections, training, and education on safe driving practices. Some companies may even implement GPS tracking and telematics systems to monitor driver performance and ensure drivers adhere to company policies.

In addition to reducing risk, there are several other benefits associated with fleet safety programs. One of these is cost savings - by reducing the number of accidents and incidents, businesses can save money on insurance premiums, maintenance costs, legal fees, and other expenses associated with motor vehicle operations.

Another benefit is improved productivity. When drivers are adequately trained and educated on safe driving practices, they can be more efficient in their jobs, leading to higher productivity levels overall.

Finally, fleet safety programs can also help boost employee morale. When employees feel protected against potential danger while out on the road, they are more likely to be engaged in their work which leads to better job satisfaction overall.

Every business with a fleet of vehicles is responsible for ensuring its drivers' safety. A well-designed fleet driver safety program can help reduce accidents, injuries, and fatalities.

While you can rely on OSHA's fleet safety guidelines for help, this should complement your fleet management system, which is personally tailored to your company, your employees, and your goals.

Here are 7 key elements that every fleet safety program should include.

1. Company-Wide Training and Education

Developing a comprehensive fleet driver safety program is key to ensuring everyone's well-being, and one of its most essential elements is training and education.

It's vital for the company to put together some form of onboarding for new hires, in particular, where they can become familiar with all the safety standards necessary to keep people safe.

It may be helpful to pair new drivers with ones who have been in the company longer and show them the ropes of road safety.

Remember that the process doesn't end once the onboarding process has been completed. Having ongoing education in place can help keep everyone up to date. That can take many forms, from weekly videos to email updates or even teamwide meetings - these are all great ways of keeping drivers informed and in the loop.

2. Conduct Vehicle Inspections

Inspections are a fundamental part of fleet driver safety. Pre-trip inspections before the vehicle is operated can help identify potential problems early and prevent costly breakdowns and accidents.

Technology like AUTOsist's mobile app not only makes the job easier but can also help you remain DOT and FMCSA compliant.

Plus, you can generate work orders for maintenance staff with just one click for all failed items so your team can take necessary action.

3. Develop Preventative Maintenance Measures

Developing preventative maintenance measures should be top of mind when creating a driver safety program. AUTOsist Preventative Maintenance System can help you manage your maintenance schedule. It will help you track each vehicle and automatically generate work orders to make sure repairs are completed at the right time - and before a crisis.

This means that fleet managers are sent reminders before maintenance is due, and they can then work with their staff to get the job done during hours that don't interfere with the driver's normal work day.

Unforeseen maintenance issues or unsafe vehicles can affect productivity if a driver can't do their job— that's why preventive maintenance measures are so important.

4. Install Safety Dash Cams

If you're looking to create a fleet driver safety program that will help protect your drivers and your company, one important element to include is installing safety dash cams.

Two-way safety dash cams are surprisingly easy to install and operate. Their live feeds can provide valuable information and can integrate with fleet management software like AUTOsist, so managers can see what the drivers see in real-time.

This can be extremely helpful in the event of an accident. According to Automotive Fleet, even a minor accident can cost your fleet big time - to the tune of somewhere between $16,000-$75,000. The costs will pile up further if there are any injuries involved.

But if you have dash cams installed, you'll have evidence to back up your claim in the event of a collision. If necessary, you can prove that fault wasn't on your driver's side.

Another benefit of dash cams? Having one installed in your fleet vehicle can help you save big-time on your insurance costs (sometimes as much as thousands of dollars per month).

5. Install GPS and Telematics Devices to Track Driver Behavior

Installing GPS and telematics devices in your fleet can be incredibly helpful when it comes to keeping your drivers and their vehicles safe. These devices provide a comprehensive overview of what's happening with the vehicle in real-time, including data like speeding, rapid acceleration, severe braking, and seatbelt utilization.

Not only does this give you visibility over driver activity, but it also syncs directly to your AUTOsist Fleet Management Portal so that you can actively monitor drivers and coach those prone to unsafe driving habits.

And if that isn't enough, in-cab alerts help remind drivers when they might be at risk of breaking a safety rule.

6. Create a Company-Wide Safe Driver Leaderboard

Making your fleet driver safety program more engaging and providing incentives for safe driving can be easy when you include a company-wide safe driver leaderboard.

Many telematics and safety camera packages have customizable leaderboards that allow you to set metrics based on safe driving scores. To keep everyone in the loop, you can give your drivers access to view the leaderboards or email them updates once a week.

Such features are an amazing way to encourage safer driving, as a little bit of healthy competition and desirable incentives can go a long way in promoting safety.

To boost morale, why not reward the safest drivers with prizes such as free lunches, gift cards, or other giveaways?

Consider AUTOsist's fully integrated GPS and telematics package. This unique bundle includes tools like Azuga's telematics devices. Of course, it also provides you with a customizable leaderboard for driver safety.

7. Provide a Channel for Open Communication

Open communication is essential to ensure maximum safety in your fleet driver safety program.

This could mean introducing a reliable fleet management app so drivers can get real-time updates on vehicle health or reminding them that tracking their driving behavior is for safety and not an attempt at micromanagement.

You should also take advantage of any feedback from drivers and use it to help improve existing programs.

Hanging compliance signage around the workplace can also be a visual reminder, with incentives that will engage, motivate, and reward drivers rather than enforce policies.