How to enhance driver safety in your fleet
Regardless of whether a fleet is five vehicles or hundreds, the safety of the drivers should always be taken into consideration, especially when it comes to introducing new employees to the business. If Duty of Care or Health and Safety guidelines aren’t adhered to, it can have a huge impact on an organisation as a whole.
That’s why this month we wanted to explore some of the steps that businesses can take to ensure that their drivers are safe on the road.
Monitor vehicles for on-going maintenance
One of the easiest ways to ensure that drivers are safe whilst they’re on the road is to continually monitor the vehicles for on-going maintenance, servicing and health checks.
Not only does this help a company adhere to Health and Safety or Duty of Care guidelines, it also helps to reduce vehicle downtime, increase fuel efficiency and minimise the risk that comes with driving for business.
Many fleet management or vehicle rental companies off a fully managed fleet service, which means they liaise with the drivers to organise MOTs and services. The added benefit of this is that it reduces the administration of the fleet manager, so they can focus on other areas of the business.
Involve drivers and senior management from an early stage
Involving the drivers themselves from the early stages of the process ensures that the policies and steps introduced are realistic, transparent and ultimately achievable on a business-wide level. It also helps to encourage collaboration between the employees and their managers, as their opinions and experiences will be taken into account.
If key members of the team are identified at the start of the process, then they will be seen as “champions” of safe driving. They’ll be able to highlight the benefits of safe driving from a practical point of view, rather than policies implemented from behind a desk.
Introduce personalised training sessions
When it comes to driver training, it’s important that you establish what level your employees are currently working to. Whether a fleet manager utilises telematics to analyse data or a group workshop is organised, it will give the business a good idea of which driving habits are most common.
Once these habits have been established, then it’s time to introduce personalised training sessions. These could be tailored to each individual employee since it will give them the practical tools they need to adjust their own driving styles.
Always share safe driving protocols and updates
If your organisation has regular updates within the business, then another way to enhance driver safety is to include safe driving protocols within these communications. This is especially important if a new driving policy has just been introduced.
Driver safety shouldn’t just be a one-off topic of conversation; it should be an on-going focus. Whether this is through a monthly round-up of safe driving tips or advice on how to improve fuel economy, communication is key to fleet success.
Share results and reward improvements
Drivers are more likely to drive safely if they know they are being monitored and their efforts are being rewarded. The easiest way for this data to be collected and monitored is through vehicle telematics since it will give fleet managers information on braking, distances driven and much more.
However, it’s important to remember that rewards are given for drivers who have shown the most improvement, not just those who are already performing well. This will give employees an incentive to drive in a safer manner, rather than just continuing with their current approach.
Further reading
We have created several other blogs that may be useful in enhancing fleet safety, including:
In conclusion, there are plenty of steps that organisations and fleet managers are able to take to enhance the safety of their drivers throughout the business.
If these actions are implemented before policies are changed, then they can have a positive impact on driver health, reduce vehicle downtime and reduce maintenance costs. What do you think?
Are there any steps that you think we’ve missed out? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so make sure you let us know in the comments below. Alternatively, you can join the conversation on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
