A priority for any company operating a commercial fleet should be the health and safety of its commercial drivers. While your drivers represent your business when out on the road, it is also your responsibility to provide them with a safe working environment and monitor their safety at all times. Driving commercial vehicles can be dangerous, and road accidents can be very serious, and for that reason, any steps to improve the safety of commercial drivers should be taken.
One way to improve the safety of drivers operating a commercial fleet is to install fleet tracking technology. These systems allow fleet managers to view highly accurate data produced from specific vehicles throughout the day. There are several ways fleet tracing improves the safety of commercial drivers, but here are some of the most important.
Reduce speeding
One of the main causes of accidents for drivers on the road is speeding. Fleet tracking systems can significantly reduce the number of speeding incidents for a commercial fleet. This is achieved through the installation of in-cab coaching systems that provide instant feedback to drivers. Feedback is provided visually, with a traffic light system, and with audio alerts to the driver. Alerts are delivered when the system detects that a driver is speeding and can also provide alerts for harsh braking, acceleration, and cornering. All of these actions can be dangerous when on the road. By alerting drivers to this dangerous behavior behind the wheel, it allows them to self-correct their behavior, which improves their safety on the road. Furthermore, commercial vehicles can often be large trucks and lorries, which if they were to make contact with smaller private cars, could cause significant damage. By improving the safety of commercial drivers, this also improves the safety of all road users.
Identify drivers who could benefit from extra training
As mentioned above, in-cab coaching systems allow drivers to self-correct their behavior. However, if drivers are unable to do this, the data produced from the fleet tracking devices allow fleet managers to identify which drivers could benefit from further training. Also, because the data produced from these devices is stored and can then be viewed over a set period, historical trends for specific drivers can be identified. As the data shows specific trends in drivers’ behavior, such as speeding incidents or continuous harsh braking, the training can be tailored to address these specific issues. By providing extra training where needed, fleet managers are actively improving the safety of their drivers.
Monitoring vehicle maintenance needs closely
An area of driver safety which is as important as their behavior behind the wheel is the overall condition of the vehicle. Fleet tracking can monitor individual vehicles within a fleet and allows fleet managers to know precisely when vehicles need maintenance checks. While this can never eliminate the chance of an unexpected breakdown, or an incident such as a flat tire, it can keep vehicles in better condition and allow them to operate more smoothly and safely when on the road. Vehicles that are in good working condition and monitored closely are safer for commercial drivers and therefore all road users.
Overall there are many other advantages to fleet tracking in addition to the safety benefits. As stated though, the safety of your employees should be a primary concern for any business operating a commercial fleet.