One glance at a fleet’s driving behavior is enough to grasp the fleet safety culture of the entire fleet company; or lack thereof. Hence, implementing a safety policy and providing safe driving training within a fleet is of utmost importance; in fact, becoming a burning issue in the industry — and beyond.
However, rolling out an effective fleet safety philosophy requires thinking outside the box and, probably, changing management strategy. Besides, fleet managers seeking to increase driver safety, retain good drivers, and lower operational costs, should keep ahead of compliance.
The key to success is monitoring and identifying questionable behaviors promptly; then, outlining the company’s safety goals and creating a well-structured training program that the crew can follow. But which are these behaviors that fleet managers should be on the lookout for, in the first place? And, how could they address them, once and for all?
10 examples of risky driving behaviors to watch out for in your fleet
Without question, unsafe driving behaviors put lives in great danger; including the dangerous driver, and other road users that happen to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time. And it’s not just careless or distracted driving instances — which may lead to tragic consequences, just the same; but also, deep-rooted behavioral issues, like aggressiveness and road rage, that take the road traffic accidents concern out of proportion.
Considering the above, fleet managers must identify undesired driving behaviors and make it their mission to correct them immediately. Be that as it may, developing a fleet safety culture is not merely restricted to internal security; it reflects the company’s moral stance and social responsibility, as well. Given these points, a few examples of risky driving behaviors that fleet managers must be watchful of, include:
- Failing to wear the seatbelt
- Not complying with road signs
- Speeding
- Hard braking
- Running red lights
- Suddenly swerving between lanes
- Cutting off or blocking other road users
- Tailgating
- Irritating other drivers to punish them (e.g. using bright headlights or persistently honking, for no good reason)
- Cussing, threatening and, on some occasions, intentionally using physical force against another person
Establishing a fleet safety culture with the help of technology
Evidently, technology can save the day, helping fleet businesses establish a fleet safety culture — and reduce operational costs. How? Cue Fleet Telematics. To explain, a fleet Telematics system, such as a vehicle management platform, monitors both driver and vehicle, in real-time; in other words, it offers visibility into vehicle status and driver activity, at any given time.
At the same time, it provides actionable data, instant alerts, notifications, and in-depth reports; thus, helping you, as a fleet manager, safeguard your entire fleet — and drivers improve their driving attitude and productivity. But what data exactly does a vehicle management system generate that you can use to improve fleet safety? Among other things:
- Location / trip logs. Where are my vehicles? Do the drivers keep on the agreed route? Is any vehicle being towed?
- Speed. Are my drivers observing speed limits?
- Idling time. How long did a driver leave the engine running? How often does this happen?
- Fast acceleration, hard braking or sharp turning. Did a driver engage in dangerous driving? If so, when, where, and how often?
- Fuel consumption / mileage. What is the fuel consumption per mile / trip / vehicle? Is there any unjustifiable fuel usage?
- Vehicle diagnostics. Are my vehicles functioning as they should? Are there any imminent issues that need to be fixed promptly?
- Maintenance. Are there any vehicles that require further maintenance, to optimize functionality and safety? What are these maintenance needs?
What’s next towards a good fleet safety culture?
All things considered, the above-mentioned information offers you valuable insights into fleet performance; so far so good, still, how can you act upon them? Well, for starters, you must communicate this information with your drivers. Offering them feedback and advice on how they can improve, will make them feel more involved; and, if everything goes as planned, they’ll start driving more consciously.
Furthermore, providing your drivers with state-certified safe driving courses will certainly support your efforts to establish a fleet safety culture. In addition, you can experiment with an incentives-rewards system to see if this tactic works for your crew. Chances are that it will. 😉
A stitch in time saves nine
Naturally, creating a fleet safety culture takes time, and requires perseverance — and a lot of patience, too. If you, as the fleet manager, plan to reinforce safe driving behaviors among your fleet drivers; then, fleet vehicle technology will prove to be a great ally. That’s where Veturilo, an intuitive vehicle management system, comes in handy — to help accelerate this worthwhile shift toward safety.
Collecting and analyzing data from Veturilo can help you create targeted driver training to ingrain conscious driving in your fleet; which, in turn, can have a positive impact on the company’s growth. When all is said and done, establishing a fleet safety mentality is a win-win for everyone; and you can start building it up with Veturilo!