We know how difficult it can be to change your employee's driving behavior. It's a long and continual process but very necessary since risky driving behavior can put your feet at risk. Safe driving habits can decrease the likelihood of your drivers having an accident that leads to an injury or fatality.
That's why we recommend that your company takes preventive action and starts implementing different procedures that will encourage drivers to be more cautious when they are behind the wheel. Here are five tips that can help reduce the number of drivers engaging in risky driving behavior.
Tip #1: Thoroughly Screen Potential New Drivers
One of the best ways to make your fleet safer is to take preventive measures when you are hiring new drivers. Take potential candidates on a test drive and analyze their driving habits. Since the past is the best indicator of what may happen in the future, do a background check on every candidate and pull their driving record.
You can also put new drivers on a temporary probation for a couple months until after they have proved that they are following your company's safety procedures. Although these precautions may extend your hiring process since it will take you longer to screen candidates, new hires with a great driving record who follow safe driving habits will save you a lot of frustration and money in the end.
Tip #2: Find a Way to Monitor Driver Behavior
Next, you should use software to monitor your driver's behavior. Technology can be a valuable tool that allows you to see how your team is driving when they think no one is looking. When you compile the data you should be able to discover how many drivers on your team are exhibiting poor driving behavior.
Depending on the technology, you may also be able to gain insight into the exact type of risky behavior they are doing. For example, you may be able to identify when they are texting and driving or other unsafe habits.
Tip #3: Clearly Distinguish Between Good and Bad Driving Behavior
Your drivers can't be held accountable if they don't understand the difference between good and bad driving behaviors. Make a document or safety policy that clearly outlines what drivers should and should not do behind the wheel. You can also test drivers or give them a quiz to make sure they comprehend the material.
Tip #4: Focus on Continual Education
Another way to change your employee's bad driving behavior is to focus on continually educating the drivers with training and workshops. It will also give them the opportunity to ask questions and get clarity.
This should not be something that you do once a year, but something that is ingrained in the culture of your company. It is only through continued education that drivers will become more aware of their poor driving habits and start correcting them. Check out driver safety course online and other training to learn your options in your area.
Tip #5: Reward Good Driving Habits
Drivers who continually demonstrate good driving behavior should be recognized and rewarded. Did one of your drivers increase their overall safety score by a large percentage? If so, celebrate it with the team!
This will motivate everyone to keep up their good habits when your company starts to reinforce good behavior. You can reward them with a prize or something else you think they would like. To prevent any discrepancy or confusion, you should track everyone's driving performance.
You can score or rate drivers based on their overall safety. Use a scorecard or chart where your drivers can see their overall progress over time. This will allow the drivers to see who is in the top spot every week.
To learn more about our services, please contact us today. Wilmar Inc. provides customized fleet solutions including fleet management and maintenance.
