This 10-Step Process provides guidelines to assist an employer in improving traffic safety performance and in minimizing the risk of motor vehicle accidents. Following these steps will help to ensure that only eligible drivers drive on company business, hire capable drivers, train them accordingly, supervise them effectively, assure proper company vehicle maintenance, and hopefully keep your motor vehicle insurance costs as low as possible.
Step 1: Senior Management Commitment / Employee Involvement
The employees' safety in an organization as they drive for work as well as to and from work is so important that the attention of top-level management is required. Senior management can create a culture of safety by providing leadership, setting policies, and allocating resources such as staff and budget. To help the safety culture to grow, actively encourage all levels of employees to participate and be involved. In the initial planning phase, workers and their representatives must be involved.
Step 2: Written Policies and Procedures
A written statement emphasizing the commitment to reduce traffic-related injuries and deaths is essential to a successful program. Create a clear, concise, and enforceable set of traffic safety policies and communicate them to all employees. This is the foundation of any Driver Safety Program and the cornerstone for a healthy safety culture. These policies and procedures should be posted throughout the workplace, copies distributed periodically, and discussed at company meetings to ensure the thought of safety is continually on everyone's minds. Be sure that consequences for disregarding policies are discussed, as well as incentives for following them.
Step 3: Driver Agreements
Establish a contract with all employees who drive for work purposes, regardless if it is with a company vehicle or personal vehicle. With the signing an agreement, the driver acknowledges understanding and awareness of the company's vehicle safety policies, procedures, vehicle maintenance, reporting of moving violations, and expectations regarding driver performance.
Step 4: Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Checks
Check the driving records of all employees who drive for work purposes. Employees with poor driving records must be screened out since they are in a high risk group for potentially causing problems in the future. Review the MVR periodically to ensure that drivers maintain good driving records. Define the number of violations an employee can have before losing the privilege of driving for work, and provide training where indicated.
Step 5: Accident Investigating and Reporting
Implement and enforce an accident reporting and investigation process. Regardless of the severity, every accident should be reported to the employee's supervisor as soon as feasible after the incident. Company vehicle safety policies and procedures should clearly guide drivers through their responsibilities in an accident situation. All accidents should be reviewed to determine their cause and whether or not the incidents were preventable. The purpose for understanding the root causes of accidents, regardless of fault, is to collect information so that a similar accident can be prevented in the future.
Step 6: Vehicle Selection, Inspection and Maintenance
Selecting, properly inspecting and routinely maintaining company vehicles are important parts of preventing accidents and related losses. The company should review and consider the safety features of all vehicles to be considered for use. Vehicles that demonstrate "best in class" status for crash-worthiness and overall safety should be selected if at all possible and made available to drivers.
A routine preventive maintenance schedule should be established for servicing and checking of safety-related equipment for all company vehicles and regular maintenance should be performed at specific mileage intervals consistent with the manufacturer's recommendations. A file should be created for every vehicle and a mechanic should do a thorough inspection at least annually of each vehicle with the documented results placed in the vehicle's file.
The maintenance and performance of personal vehicles used for company business are generally the responsibility of the owner. However, it should be communicated to the owners of personal vehicles used on company business that they are expected to maintain their vehicle in a manner that provides the employee with maximum safety.
The latest crash test ratings and other important vehicle safety information can be found at, www.safercar.gov.
Step 7: Driver Training / Communication
Continuous driver safety training and communication should be provided. Even experienced drivers benefit from periodic refresher training, safe driving practices, and skills. Complacency is common when thinking about the consequences of our driving habits.
Step 8: Reward / Incentive Program
Develop and implement a driver reward / incentive program to make safe driving an integral part of your business culture, and to compliment the company-wide safety culture. The bottom line of the company is directly affected by safe driving behaviors and should be rewarded accordingly. Positive results are realized when driving performance is incorporated into the overall evaluation of job performance. Reward / incentive programs typically incorporate monetary rewards, recognition, special privileges. These programs can motivate employees to strive for predetermined goals.
Step 9: Disciplinary Action System
Develop a strategy to determine the course of action after the occurrence of a "preventable" accident and / or moving violation. A variety of corrective action programs are available; the majority of these are based on a point system where points are assigned for moving violations. The system should include a progression of discipline if a driver develops a pattern of repeated traffic violations and / or preventable accidents. The system should describe the specific action(s) that will be taken if a driver accumulates a set number of preventable accidents or violations in any pre-defined period.
Step 10: Regulatory Compliance
Ensure compliance with all highway safety regulations. It is important to clearly establish which local, state, and / or federal regulations govern your vehicles and / or drivers. These regulations may involve, but may not be limited to the following agencies:
- U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)
- National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA)
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
- Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
- Employment Standards Administration (ESA)
By continually talking about safety, whether vehicle, workplace, or environmental, the company will not only promote a safe working culture, but become a safe working establishment.
