Changing Your Safety Culture, Driver by Driver

Safe workers are more likely to be productive and happy workers. But when employees interact as frequently with the public at large as a fleet driver does, the need for good driving habits and a focus on driver safety becomes much more important. For companies that deploy fleets, driver safety is a matter of public responsibility. Simply instructing drivers to “drive safely” is great, but is it effective? It’s better to narrow your focus to the driver level and instill good driving habits that can add up to big results. 

Create coachable moments by monitoring drivers’ habits 

Targeted fleet monitoring can give you data that is focused on drivers, not just on vehicles. Knowing that Driver Smith tends to speed a lot is much more powerful than knowing that Vehicle 100 has exceeded the speed limit repeatedly. You can turn that focused information into a coachable driver safety moment, creating awareness of poor driving habits and helping to curb dangerous and wasteful behaviors like speeding, quick starts, hard braking and harsh cornering. This boosts driver safety and return on investment and has the added benefit of pleasing customers who are no longer affected by the drivers’ bad habits. And going beyond coaching safer driving habits, you can use the data to help incentivize drivers with safe-driving targets that come with rewards for meeting them. 

Eliminate distractions

A driver who is eating while driving because he’s too busy to stop for lunch pays the price in reaction time, endangering himself and those around him. Tests have shown that  texting and reading electronic devices while driving can worsen reaction times more than driving impaired. Even talking on a cell phone can have a huge effect on reaction time. Take action to eliminate these distractions by preparing your drivers. Help ensure that they take the time to have a safe break for lunch that doesn’t pin them behind the wheel. 

Always know exactly where your fleet is to limit misuse and increase safety

It used to be that when a driver left the yard, the honor system kicked in. There was no way to really tell if a driver was abusing the availability of the vehicle to run personal errands, do side jobs or goof off. And the longer a vehicle is in the field, the higher the possibility of a lapse in safety. With the benefit of technology, you can monitor all of the comings and goings of the vehicles, helping to make everyone safer. 

You can put safety at the top of your to-do list by looking past the big picture and taking a more focused approach.

• No two people are exactly alike, and neither are drivers. Help improve safety driver-by-driver with specific data about the driving habits of your fleet. 
• Big, sweeping change is hard to achieve and even harder to sustain. Small acts, on the other hand, can add up to big change. Take a similar approach to build a safety culture one driver at a time.
• Your fleet is the most visible representation of your company in the community. Helping ensure the safety of your drivers extends to the community where they work and works to protect your company’s image at the same time.