Protecting Drivers while Lowering Liability
GPS vehicle tracking is an effective and inexpensive tool to monitor driver behavior, reduce accidents and fatalities, decrease liability, increase fleet profitability and keep your fleet in top condition with routine maintenance reminders. Put your drivers in safe hands with GPS tracking tools.
EMPLOYEE MANUAL – Driver Safety Policies
There is often the question, should we tell our drivers we put GPS tracking on our vehicles? We believe transparency is the best policy. Employee manuals are often centered around employee rules and safety on the job but may not include Driver Safety. According to OSHA’s white paper, Guidelines for Employers to Reduce Motor Vehicle Crashes, “Every 12 minutes someone dies in a motor vehicle crash, every 10 seconds an injury occurs and every 5 seconds a crash occurs. Many of these incidents occur during the workday or during the commute to and from work. Employers bear the cost for injuries that occur both on and off the job. Whether you manage a fleet of vehicles, oversee a mobile sales force or simply employ commuters, by implementing a driver safety program in the workplace you can greatly reduce the risks faced by your employees and their families while protecting your company’s bottom line. This should include clear policies on exactly what is expected while operating a company vehicle. “
“You need a driver safety program:
- To save lives and to reduce the risk of life-altering injuries within your workforce.
- To protect your organization’s human and financial resources.gps-fleet-management-news/GPS-Tracking-Improves-Vehicle-Driver-Safety
- To guard against potential company and personal liabilities associated with crashes involving employees driving on company business.
Your program should work to keep the driver and those with whom he/she shares the road safe. And, if necessary, the program must work to change driver attitudes, improve behavior, and increase skills to build a “be safe” culture. By instructing your employees in basic safe driving practices and then rewarding safety-conscious behavior, you can help your employees and their families avoid tragedy.
Employees are an employer’s most valuable assets. Workplace driver safety programs not only make good business sense but also are a good employee relations tool, demonstrating that employers care about their employees.”
Below is a 10-step program to ensure that you hire capable drivers, only allow eligible drivers to drive on company business, train them, supervise them, and maintain company vehicles properly. Adherence to these 10 steps can also help to keep your motor vehicle insurance costs as low as possible.
1. Senior Management Commitment & Employee Involvement
2. Written Policies and Procedures (alcohol and seatbelt use included)
3. Driver Agreements
4. Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Checks
5. Crash Reporting and Investigation
6. Vehicle Selection, Maintenance and Inspection
7. Disciplinary Action System
8. Reward/Incentive Program
9. Driver Training/Communication
10. Regulatory Compliance