It’s not an overstatement to say that fleet vehicle accidents are among the most costly injury claims for businesses. It’s estimated that the average costs of vehicle accidents are 2x more than those related to workplace injury. The winter season is a particularly tough period since the ice, snow, and cold temperatures make it difficult for drivers to maintain control of their vehicles. Without a fleet safety program in place, you are putting not only the welfare of your employees at risk but also the prosperity of your business as well.
A universal fleet safety program is better than none. Still, if you want to maximize safety and increase employee satisfaction, you need a program that is customized to meet your needs.
Make sure you address the following aspects while creating this fleet safety program:
1. A Thorough Database of All Your Drivers
Before anything, you will need to identify all of your employees that are driving to, from, or during work, whether it’s on a personal or a company car. Also, make sure you know if there is any seasonal change since winter could impact your employee’s choice of driving. For some drivers, it could be more comfortable while for others it could be the opposite. Make a clear profile for each and every one of them.
2. Careful Screening of Drivers
When it comes to company-owned cars, you have got to make sure there is a very thorough screening system in place. You are looking for safe drivers, and it should be an important aspect of the screening procedure. Make it a strict part of your hiring standards – no bad drivers allowed in your fleet.
3. Special Training
Winter imposes some very specific road issues that any good driver needs to be wary of. Road security in winter depends enormously on that so making sure your drivers are very well trained in those areas is essential. You want all your drivers to know and understand safety policies, procedures, and techniques.
4. Safety Fleet Equipment
Take proper care of your fleet vehicles and provide adequate safety fleet customization. Even if potentially more expensive, this is one of the wisest investments you could make regarding safety measures. It simply keeps trouble away. Establish a regular inspection, repair, and maintenance schedule to keep everything rolling.
5. Tight Management
Last but not least, you want to implement thorough fleet management to ensure drivers are keeping up with your safety procedures and rules. Especially during winter, you need to make sure that leadership is reviewing and reinforcing the whole program.
Fleet safety is important – and so is the well-being of your employees. If you need to customize your trucks and prepare them for winter, head on over to Pacific Truck Colors. We have everything you need to ensure that your fleet is equipped properly for any season.
