7 Tips for Enforcing Safe Driving with Your Employees
It’s About Training. Incentives and Responsibility
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If your company has company cars or requires its employees to do some driving for the company with their personal vehicles, then it is absolutely crucial that your organization has a strong emphasis on safety. This isn’t just about your company’s reputation, but your employees, other drivers, and even pedestrians can instantly be at risk if there is a lack of safety. Essentially, bad driving could mean life or death and even a tarnished reputation. Things that no company or person wants to go through. So, here are some tips for enforcing safe driving to ensure your employees will drive safely.
Safety Is the Responsibility of Every Employer
Every employer has a responsibility to ensure that their employees are safe. This includes driving safety. If an employee drives for work, you must provide the necessary training and education to enable them to drive safely. This is especially apparent if they’re driving a company car, particularly if it’s branded with the company logo. These employees and these cars are out there representing the company when it’s on the road.
In addition to this, you should also enforce a zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policy. It is important to keep a vehicle equipped with the necessary equipment, such as snow tires. Road accidents can be devastating for those involved and their families. They have significant financial and reputational implications for organizations. That is why your organization must develop a road safety plan. Your road safety plan should include a series of steps to reduce the risk of crashes. These steps include a driver’s assessment, a review of incident reports and a driver’s continuing education.
Enforce a Policy for Avoiding Distractions
Distracted driving is a major cause of automobile accidents. Some of the most common distracted driving behaviors are talking on the phone, texting, eating and playing video games. This is a risky activity and one that you can prevent with a little planning. Many employers can reduce the crash risk by implementing a distracted driving policy. This will protect your business from liability, decreased productivity and litigation expenses.
The policy should be a guiding light for all employees, including those who use company-owned vehicles. You can also create a safe driving culture by providing adequate training and fostering employee buy-in. Consider a conference to educate employees about distracted driving. Establishing a policy prohibiting all work-related cell phone use while driving is also helpful.
Create an Anti-Speeding Campaign
Every employer dreads finding out that their employer was speeding on the road and gets a ticket. Since the employer usually pays the bill, it’s not nice to deal with. While you can’t always be with your employees when they’re using a company car, one thing you should at least try is creating some type of enforcement or campaign. A “no need to speed” campaign is a good start. This can help keep you and your employees safe and save you money in the long run.
In addition to the financial savings, promoting a driver-friendly culture will also go a long way toward retaining good workers. So, figure out why employees would speed. Are they rushing to get to the office or at a site? There needs to be some clear organization, so why not look into the most effective work scheduling apps that could help reduce the risk of speeding?
Check Employees’ Driving Records
There are many reasons why employers should check an employee’s driving record. Aside from protecting themselves against potential lawsuits, checking the record can also help companies determine whether an employee is a good driver. It may also reduce the company’s exposure to increased insurance premiums. This will also let you know whether certain employees should be given a company car or not.
Consider Tracking Driving Performance
Often debated, one way to ensure safety and productivity could be through tracking. The use of GPS tracking for your employees can be a big boost to their performance while also improving safety. There are a few key things you should look for when you’re evaluating a GPS tracking system. First, you should be aware of the laws and regulations that apply to its use. For example, some regions (and countries) regulate the use of GPS systems for workplace purposes.
Likewise, it’s important to understand your own organization’s privacy policies. Another thing to look for is a behavior monitoring system that can track trends and identify performance indicators. This will allow you to gauge your drivers’ driving habits and address safety issues before they become a catastrophe.
Build a culture where safe driving is the norm
Create Incentives for Safe Driving
A great way to increase safety with company cars would be through incentive programs. As an employer, you can use incentive programs to promote safe driving in your workplace. It can be a good way to engage your team and reduce attrition. You can have a number of different types of rewards, including tangible ones.
These can include things like trophies, plaques and gift certificates. The key is to ensure that your drivers understand the value of these awards. Incentives should also be offered to your drivers for outstanding performance. Recognition is a great motivator, especially when delivered quickly.
For instance, you could post the top drivers’ reports and offer to sponsor a charity in the driver’s honor. Drivers are motivated differently, so it’s important to find the reward that best motivates each of them. Cash is often the biggest motivator, but not necessarily the one that keeps them returning for more.
Teach Employees to be Safe in Bad Weather
Just as it’s an employer’s responsibility to teach their employees to drive safely, it’s also important that they know how to drive responsibly in different weather. For example, teaching employees how to drive in winter is important, as the season brings a wide range of driving conditions. This includes slippery roads, ice, fog, snow and freezing rain. Since this may be a company car that your employees will be driving, there must be a safety kit in each car, including warm clothing, a cell phone, a flashlight, sand, jumper cables and an ice scraper.
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Source: Clean Fleet Report