Improve Vehicle Fleet Safety Without Breaking the Bank

If you run a business that requires vehicular transportation in any form, you probably have a fleet of vehicles. It’s in your best interest to keep this fleet as safe as possible, both to minimize costs and keep your employees and other people on the road safer. But how exactly are you supposed to improve your vehicle fleet safety without hemorrhaging money in the process?

The Importance of Vehicle Fleet Safety

Maintaining a safe vehicle fleet is, in some ways, its own reward. The employees driving those vehicles are going to be safer, which is a benefit to them and to you as an employer. Employees who feel safe are going to have higher morale, higher productivity, and greater loyalty.

According to Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., increased safety can also afford your business greater legal protection. If you make reasonable efforts to keep your fleet vehicles as safe as possible, you’ll be far less likely to be liable for any accidents that occur involving those vehicles.

On top of that, you’ll save money from any workers’ comp insurance payouts that might have been due to employees who were injured in the line of duty. And, of course, your organization will reputationally benefit from having fewer accidents overall.

How to Keep Your Vehicle Fleet Safer

So what are the most important strategies to keep your fleet vehicles safer?

•         Choose the right vehicles. First, make sure you choose the right vehicles. Depending on the nature of your business, you may have a wide array of options to choose from. You may get to choose between various makes and models, or make decisions about important safety features. Some organizations are interested in saving money in any way they can, so they’re interested in cutting corners and buying inexpensive vehicles, regardless of safety features. However, it might be worth making an extra investment in higher-quality vehicles that are less likely to be involved in accidents and more likely to protect drivers and passengers inside.
•         Practice consistent maintenance. No matter what types of vehicles you choose, you need to practice consistent maintenance. Even the most basic forms of routine maintenance can go a long way in keeping your vehicles safe and suitable for the road. For example, you should have a process in place to change the oil, rotate the tires, replace worn brake pads, and test various mechanical systems. Use a combination of skilled employees and automatic alerts to make sure you don’t miss anything here.
•         Inspect before each journey. On top of that, it’s a good idea to have your drivers inspect your fleet vehicles before every journey. This inspection doesn’t have to be especially long or complicated, but you should make it a point to look at things like headlights, brake lights, and other safety features to make sure they’re working as intended. If there’s something wrong with the vehicle, the driver can flag it before they ever hit the road.
•         Pay attention to recalls. Vehicle recalls are often executed once a major manufacturer learns of a critical defect in one of their vehicles. If you own and operate many of these vehicles, you’ll likely receive notice when one of these recalls is issued. Take action to avoid potential dangers or liability. Most recalls make it easy for vehicle owners to get the repairs or replacements they need.
•         Replace when necessary. Similarly, you need to know when it’s appropriate to fully replace one or more of your vehicles. As vehicles age, they become inherently less reliable – even if you’ve been practicing consistent maintenance. At a certain point, the best course of action is to simply replace your older vehicles with newer, safer ones. Be consistent in your approach here.
•         Provide drivers more education and training. Though it has little to do with the safety of individual vehicles, you can make your entire vehicle fleet safer and more reliable by providing your drivers more education and training. Even if you only hire experienced, qualified candidates, you should invest more time and energy into making your drivers cautious, responsible, and safe.
•         Install dash cams and telematics. Similarly, it’s a good idea to install dash cams and telematics in your fleet vehicles. Not only will this provide you with detailed information in the event of a crash, but it may also incentivize your drivers to operate their vehicles more responsibly.

If you want to avoid personal injury cases against you, save money, and keep your employees safe simultaneously, you need a plan to improve the safety of your vehicle fleet. These strategies are a great place to start, especially if you don’t have a fleet vehicle safety program already in place. 

The more proactive efforts you make to improve fleet vehicle safety, the greater your rewards will be.