June 16, 2010

In California, transportation-related injuries consistently rank as the leading cause of work-related accidental deaths. In addition to workers who are killed, many more suffer serious injuries. Most vehicle accidents are preventable, and an effective defensive driving program is one way to not only prevent your workers from becoming statistics but also reduce insurance costs. Here are some basic elements to consider when developing your defensive driving program:

Ready to get started on your defensive driving program? Download a copy of our special report, Save Lives: 5 Vital Elements of a Defensive Driving Program.

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1. Check driving records: Checking your employees' driving records will help you to identify any problem drivers before they get behind the wheel. Note that before implementing a record check policy, you should decide which issues on a driving record mark a "bad" driver (consider consulting your insurance company for assistance, especially if you want to earn insurance savings based on your defensive driving program).

You should also determine in advance which actions you will take if you identify a worker as a bad driver—and inform employees. For example, if a driver has only minor infractions on his or her driving record, can that employee drive company vehicles? Or can he or she drive company vehicles but only after receiving additional safe driving training?

2. Establish safe driving policies: Simply telling workers to drive safely isn't enough—you need to identify the primary behaviors you do or do not want from your drivers, such as wearing seat belts, doing pre-travel vehicle checks, or strictly complying with motor vehicle laws. And don't forget policies for texting and talking on cell phones. As with any safety program, monitoring is needed to ensure your policies are followed, and consequences should follow if employees do not comply.

3. Put workers through basic training: It's likely been years since most of your employees took a driver education class. Before letting workers drive company vehicles, give them training on how to be a defensive driver, including basic issues like proper following distances, the right-of-way at a four-way stop, and what to do when the traffic light has turned yellow (hint--you don't gun it to beat the light!).

4. Investigate accidents—and near misses: Many companies that are proactive in safety routinely investigate incidents that occur within their facilities. But even historically proactive companies often fail to investigate motor vehicle-related incidents. Establish a policy that requires reporting all accidents and near misses.

5. Be loud and clear on consequences: Revoking driving privileges can severely restrict a worker's job, so infractions may be ignored out of a reluctance to inflict that kind of "pain" on an employee—especially if no accident or only a minor accident has occurred. If you are clear from the very beginning on the consequences of breaking the rules—and consistently enforce them—you are more likely to have compliance, both on the part of workers and those charged with enforcement.

Defensive Driving Saves Lives

Motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of death in the United States—both on and off the job. Don't let your workers join those ranks.

Get a copy of our special report, Save Lives: 5 Vital Elements of a Defensive Driving Program. This special report includes in-depth information on how to:

• establish a defensive driving program
• make vehicle safety a priority
• stress driver health and well-being
• emphasize the importance of compliance with motor vehicle laws
• teach defensive driving skills

The report comes with handouts on sharpening driving skills and performing vehicle safety checks.

Download your copy today »