Fleet Safety Definition
Fleet safety consists of an established program of driver and vehicle safety policies that comply with state and federal regulations, while also ensuring exemplary driver safety, reduced risk, and lowered fleet costs.
What is Fleet Safety?
In most cases, fleet safety is a formalized program that is created by the management of a company to ensure that all drivers employ safe and effective on-road behavior, both inside and outside of the vehicle.
What is Fleet Safety Certified?
To be considered certified, a fleet must not only comply with all state and federal rules and regulations, they must also complete a safety course offered by a licensed provider.
Fleet Safety Certification
Fleet safety certification consists of courses designed to train fleet managers to safely and effectively supervise their drivers and vehicles. These courses cover fleet safety management and supervision, hiring and retaining safe drivers, accident investigation and record-keeping, regulatory compliance, and keeping proper maintenance records.
What is a Fleet Safety Program?
A fleet safety program consists of specific policies and procedures that are put in place to ensure a safe and effective work environment. An effective safety program includes driver screening and training, preventive maintenance practices, and compliance of all state and federal rules and regulations. The safety program should be required for all employees that either drive, manage, or perform maintenance on any fleet vehicle. An effective program must be comprehensive, kept current, and instill every part of your fleet’s safety culture.
Benefits of a Fleet Safety Program
Aside from the obvious benefit of lowering the risk or injury or death, fleet safety programs can help lower insurance premiums, help managers to hire and retain safe drivers, extend the life of fleet vehicles, create a cohesive team, and improve customer relations, which can lead to increased business and profits.
What is a Fleet Safety Policy?
A fleet safety policy is a comprehensive list of operational requirements for all drivers, managers, and technicians. It lists how drivers should operate vehicles both behind the wheel and before and after their trips, the necessary ongoing training required of all employees, and all other safety standards that must be adhered to during the workday.
Fleet Safety Policy Example
Fleet safety policies can include:
- Prohibited actions, such as speeding
- Cell phone policies
- Drug and alcohol testing procedures
- Accident reporting procedures
- Defensive driving strategies
- Inspection and maintenance procedures
- Proper cargo securement practices
Fleet Safety Solutions and Fleet Safety Technology
Telematics devices and software systems offer fleet managers an effective tool in ensuring the safety of their drivers and vehicles. Most devices and solutions can alert managers to unsafe driving behaviors, such as speeding and harsh turning and braking. Other devices, such as in-cab cameras, can identify distracted and drowsy driving, immediately alerting both the driver and manager in real time. These devices can also provide training opportunities for drivers when they are back at the office. They can see where and why there was a problem, and then learn effective strategies to ensure they do not happen again.
Benefits of Fleet Safety
An effective fleet safety program can improve the safety of your drivers and vehicles, increase employee satisfaction, reduce accident-related costs, lower insurance premiums, increase efficiency, and, most importantly, save lives.
How Does LifeSaver Mobile Help to Support Fleet Safety?
Cell blocking technology solutions like LifeSaver Mobile are an integral part of a holistic driver safety approach. Three approaches to commercial driver safety include: Stop, Warn and Coach, where LifeSaver Mobile functions in the realm of “Stop” in preventing distracted driving behaviors to improve fleet safety.