Why Utility Companies Rely On Good Drivers - Copy

Driver safety continues to be one of the biggest concerns among utility fleets throughout the industry.

Accidents and collisions not only threaten the health and well-being of a fleet’s drivers and others on the road, but these crashes will often times cause significant financial stress on an entire company.

A large portion of vehicle accidents transpire during the commute to and from job sites. And in these instances, it’s up to the company to assume the cost of any injuries that occur both on and off the job. An average crash costs a company $16,500, and an accident in which injuries occur costs $74,000. If the accident results in a fatality, the cost then increases to over $500,000, according to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

A majority of utility companies have already turned to GPS fleet management tools that are able to track and provide optimized routes for fleet vehicles. But in addition, fleet management GPS software also is able to monitor driver behavior and increase driver safety.

Recognizing Dangerous Driving Habits
Obtaining driver safety reports from GPS software gives fleet managers the tools to monitor, measure and recognize dangerous driving habits like hard braking, quick acceleration, sharp turning and excessive speeding.

This helps drivers identify any dangerous habits they may be unaware of, and fleet managers have metrics to identify risky drivers and work with their employees to take proactive actions that will reduce unsafe habits and vehicle crashes.

Identifying driver behavior also provides information which can cut down on unnecessary fuel costs, vehicle wear and tear, and additional costs from insurance or potential collisions.

Educate Drivers
To ensure that fleet utility drivers are maintaining proper driving behaviors, fleet managers should create safe driver policies and follow through on policy enforcement. When choosing GPS software for a fleet, be sure to find one that will support the company’s overall strategy to address driver education and safety.

Addressing driver conduct in a proactive manner enables fleet owners and managers to lessen driving incidents while also proving the value of driver and fleet safety. Promoting proper driving habits allows a business to decrease overall insurance costs, cut down on vehicle collisions and reduce legal expenses.

Distracted Driving
With demanding schedules, traffic, construction delays and other interruptions, many drivers will multi-task to keep up while behind the wheel.

However, there are fleet management devices that provide distracted driving support, which eliminate the need to communicate through a handheld device. These type of distracted driving solution allows companies to maintain any mobile device policy use in vehicles, ensuring driver safety and protecting your company reputation.

By using GPS software that eliminates distracted driving, a utility company is able to decrease communications to the basic, necessary interactions and greatly increases driver awareness.

Importance of Driver Safety
Dangerous driving also presents a poor company image. Safety and compliance are major concerns for fleet managers, so it is important to have driver safety education and monitoring options in a company’s GPS fleet management software.

These telematics systems not only increase productivity and efficiency while decreasing fuel usage, they also support fleet managers in working with employees and drivers to ensure the safety of everyone on the road.