When it comes to your fleet, the safety and security of your drivers and passengers are paramount. That's why creating an effective safety program for your fleet is important. You know that accidents will happen, but you can limit the frequency and severity with an effective safety program.
Below are seven strategies to help you develop and implement an effective fleet safety program:
1. Develop a Safety Culture
No matter how hard you work to prevent accidents, there is always the possibility of something unfortunate happening. Thus, creating a culture where everyone is passionate about safety is important. That way, the seriousness of each accident is driven home, and the cause and effects of accidents are more thoroughly investigated. The safety culture will mostly discourage risky behaviors, ultimately reducing the chances of an accident.
2. Provide Safety Training
Even drivers who think they are safe drivers can benefit from driver training. Depending on the size and scope of your fleet, you should invest in training every driver or offer training to a few at a time. Either way, it's important to have training sessions that include tips from avoiding distractions while driving to proper braking and turning techniques. Once more, the training sessions should be memorable enough that they stick in drivers' minds.
3. Utilize Data to Improve Safety
Yes, accidents can indeed happen with or without using a fleet safety program. However, when you have a fleet safety program in place, you can take advantage of data collected from your employees and reports from field and maintenance crews. For instance, you can look at the data results to determine which routes are the most dangerous and why. Then, you can use that information to improve fleet safety.
4. Develop Solid Policies & Procedures
It would help if you had solid policies and procedures in place so that anyone operating a vehicle in your fleet is doing so safely. That makes policy and procedure writing an essential part of your fleet safety program. As with the other components of your program, you need to ensure that the policies and procedures are clear, simple to follow, and enforceable by any employee or contractor who operates a vehicle in your fleet.
5. Track Accidents & Improve Safety Directly from Employees
You may have had an accident during which the issue could have been prevented by good driver behavior or better vehicle maintenance. Or, you may be struggling with new drivers who don't know the rules of the road. Whatever the case, call a meeting and ask employees for their input. Then, take that information into account when formulating policies and procedures for the future.
6. Invest in Safety Technology
Newer cars are equipped with several technologies that help drivers avoid accidents and keep themselves safe through advanced safety features such as lane assist and automatic braking. However, not all vehicles in your fleet are new or up-to-date. If your budget allows it, purchase newer vehicles with the latest safety technology.
7. Focus on Safety During Your Fleet Management Processes
Just like your weekly, monthly, and annual management processes for the rest of your business, you should also have a few processes in place for fleet maintenance and safety. For instance, you could conduct monthly check-ups, weekly vehicle inspections, or quarterly driver evaluations. Either way, you could use the results to compile reports and employ them to improve fleet safety.
When it comes to fleet safety, there is always more that you can do. At Wilmar, Inc., we know that the best fleet safety processes are the ones you put into place on your own, which is why we have an experienced team of specialists available to assist you with your fleet safety needs. Contact us today to get started on your fleet safety program.
