If you’re in charge of fleet management, ensuring that the drivers and the vehicles themselves are safe is a number one priority. Whether it be a single van or a vast fleet of trucks, making sure your company has a comprehensive safety plan in place is vital. Not only does this help protect your drivers, but it is also an important way to look after your business and shield it from unnecessary costs and risk, so here is a complete guide to how to keep your fleet and its drivers safe.
Prioritise Regular Vehicle Maintenance
One of the most powerful and also the simplest ways you can ensure safety for your fleet is by vehicle maintenance that is regular. It’s imperative that the person who owns the vehicle must have all the vehicles serviced on a regular basis. Not only does that help to stop the vehicle in its tracks but it also makes sure that your vehicles are running at peak condition. When you let the schedule of the maintenance slip even a bit, the chances of larger problems happening are beyond your control. This is what ends up putting your drivers as well as your other vehicles at risk.
You need to make sure that the checks of the maintenance become a part of the larger fleet management process. The things that should be checked more often are fluid levels, tires and breaks. The vehicles need to be inspected from head to toe more often than not. A fleet that is well maintained reduces the chances of accidents and also helps ensure that the company is following safety standards and regulations.
Driver Training and Awareness
Ensuring your drivers are fully trained is another important facet of vehicle safety. A fully trained driver is more likely to be well-equipped to avoid accidents before they happen and implement proper strategies if a situation arises. Training for important skills like these can be completed further by having regular safety training sessions where drivers can promote their vehicle safety practices and go over information about how to drive in adverse weather conditions and how to remain alert on the road.
In many ways, before the sessions, an integrated culture of safety is also an important way to contribute to safety within your fleet. Drivers should be actively encouraged to voice concerns about the condition of their vehicles and about any dangerous driving practices they may have noticed in other drivers on the road and this will lessen the chances of unnecessary accidents.
Implementing Telematics for Enhanced Fleet Safety
One solution to lend a helping hand in terms of vehicle safety is to integrate a telematics system. Telematics provides fleet managers with vehicle location information and data related to driving behaviors and offers an all-encompassing protection schedule.
Telematics also aid in vehicle analytics — for example, early warnings of breakdown-susceptible conditions before they become full-blown. With the knowledge they glean, fleet operators are in a position to set parameters for maintenance and driver behaviors (like training regimens or routing) that foster safer driving and more efficient fleet operations.
The systems even come in handy should an accident occur. Real-time data can be used to determine how an accident happened, which helps in reporting the accident to the insurance company and in any investigations. Companies also are better able to protect their vehicles with this information and ensure driver accountability and efficiency. It really is an integrated system set that needs to be a part of any safety program out there, fleet operators attest.
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Create a Driver Safety Policy
Every business with a fleet of any size has to have an established policy about driver safety and ensure that it is being followed. This means there are set protocols in place to prevent accidents caused by drivers operating the fleet vehicles. Companies need to have a protocol in place that everyone will adhere to. This is all part of the establishing of processes that create a culture of safety.
Writing a detailed safety policy is a good way of outlining the dos and don’ts in plain black and white. Stipulations around things like daily hours worked, mobile phone usage and seatbelt requirements give drivers a clear map of how they should be acting, which reduces confusion and promotes safe behaviors throughout the entire team.
Plan Efficient Routes
Ensuring that the routes your drivers are taking are both efficient and safe is another critical part of fleet safety. The longer your vehicles are out on the road, the higher the chance that an accident can occur. Optimising routes can save on fuel but can also reduce the time that your drivers are out on the road and at risk.
Here is where technology comes in, again. GPS and telematics can help find the best route considering traffic, pavement and weather conditions. Reducing unnecessary driving time and avoiding roads that are known to have a higher number of accidents can reduce the likelihood of an accident happening.
Promote Driver Wellbeing
A tired driver is a dangerous driver. Fatigue impairs the ability to make quick decisions and also slows down reaction times, both recipes for an accident. It’s critical for fleet managers to keep drivers in good condition and well-rested. This means providing your drivers with ample time for rest and not overwork them.
Encouraging drivers to take breaks often and an overall healthy work-life balance with your drivers is important. In addition, promoting the health of your drivers both physically and mentally is also important. Many drivers are out on the road for long hours, often away from their families and loved ones. Having a healthy mind can help make sure your drivers are alert and focused.
Conduct Regular Safety Audits
Any safety plan should have regular audits in the mix. This will allow fleet managers to see where improvements can be made from vehicle maintenance to driver training and route planning. Checking on safety regularly and ensuring your fleet is following protocol will help make sure you stay on top of things rather than playing catch-up.
A fleet safety audit should cover a wide variety of components from vehicle inspections to driver logs and telematics data. The idea is to make sure that the safety protocols you have in check are effective and going according to plan.
Staying Safe on the Road
Maintaining safety within your fleet requires more than just looking after your vehicles. It means creating a culture of safety that runs through every aspect of how you do business. When it comes down to it, fleet safety is a continual process that includes looking at all areas of both compliance and driver education while leveraging technology to help provide overall fleet improvement. Keeping your vehicles and drivers safe is more than meeting regulations. It makes great business sense and is an investment in both cost savings and the long-term success of how you run your operation.
