The following guide details everything companies need to know to stop their fleet vehicles from getting into accidents. Today’s roads are jam-packed with vehicles. There are an estimated 289 million vehicles in the US alone on the road. With this in mind, it is hardly surprising that so many accidents occur on a daily basis.
Fleet accidents are becoming increasingly common. Demands are high, and customers are ordering more products online than ever, leading to more fleet vehicles out there. However, this has caused a major headache for company owners. Of course, they want to hire as many fleet drivers as possible to complete deliveries. But at the same time, they also need to put a lot of effort into preventing their drivers from getting into accidents.
Why is it Important to Keep Fleet Vehicles Safe?
Keeping your company vehicles safe is important for a variety of reasons.
- It prevents employees and pedestrians from getting injured
- You will not experience damages to your vehicles or costly lawsuits
- Your brand reputation will remain high with drivers and customers
With that said, let us look at some ways you can stop fleet vehicle accidents from occurring.
Use a Forward-Collision Warning System
A forward-collision warning system (FCW) will help to prevent rear-end collisions. It does this by warning drivers when a potential collision is going to happen via a visual or audio alert. When drivers get this alert, they can then react accordingly (usually by breaking). Therefore, if you install your company vehicles – from trucks to cars – with FCW systems, you will drastically reduce the chances of your drivers getting hurt.
Weather Warnings
In addition to this, you should also notify your drivers of weather warnings. For example, one of your drivers might be out on the road with a snowstorm forecast to hit in the coming hours. When this is the case, you will be able to divert your driver and keep them safe. Even if this means delaying the delivery of an order, it is more than worth it. However, in certain circumstances, such as heavy rain, your drivers should be safe to stay on track. It is all down to experience and interpretation.
Reduce Driver Fatigue
Are your drivers spending long hours in company vehicles? If so, you should pay careful attention to their fatigue levels. Drivers should be under instruction to report how they feel to their management departments daily. They should not be on the road whenever they feel fatigued and worn out. You can reduce fatigue by delegating shift hours more efficiently and by hiring extra drivers as cover.
Provide Drivers with Company Smartphones
Drivers should have company smartphones so that they can use them as GPS devices while driving. Ideally, they should not have to use their own personal smartphones for this, as it would be unprofessional. Thankfully, there are tons of GPS apps for you and your drivers to choose from – making life easier for everyone on the road.
