Breaking it down: What is a Motor Vehicle Report?
Is your company part of the transportation industry? Does your company employ any salespeople with issued company cars? Do you have a fleet program for employees to travel for business?
If you've answered yes to any of these questions, it's important to make sure you are consistently running Motor Vehicle Records (MVRs) for anyone getting behind the wheel representing your company.
What is a Motor Vehicle Record?
Think of a Motor Vehicle Record as a crystal ball into your driving habits. MVRs can be obtained from the state in which you hold your driver's license and generally can show:
- Driver's license information
- Accident reports
- Traffic violations
- If a license has been suspended or revoked
- Vehicular crimes
- Driving record points
Why are Motor Vehicle Record checks so important?
Ultimately, it should be the goal of any employer in the transportation industry to help maintain safety compliance on our roadways. Simply put, regular MVR checks can help an employer be sure they are putting the safest drivers on the roads.
While regular MVR checks are required by law for industries such as trucking, it's important to not overlook salespeople, or others who could be driving company-issued vehicles as well. While it may not necessarily be a requirement, it gives you a good idea of their driving habits and how that could impact your business. Studies have shown that drivers with poor MVRs will likely have more accidents than drivers with good records.
When should Motor Vehicle Records be reviewed?
An MVR should be ordered and reviewed prior to placing any employee in a company vehicle or allowing an employee to drive their personal vehicle on company business. They also should be ordered:
- Prior to a new hire or placement in a driving position
- As part of an annual evaluation
- After an accident occurs
Consistently reviewing Motor Vehicle Records for your drivers sets the foundation for a successful driver management program. It's the easiest way to know you are hiring good applicants and providing the right training for existing employees.
For more on Motor Vehicle Records checks and guidance on how to create a fleet safety program for your business, contact our Risk Management team.