Fleet safety and technology

Vehicle accidents are the leading cause of workplace injuries and fatalities. There were nearly 42,000 fatalities on the road in 2019, and more than 4,000 of those were attributed to commercial vehicles, according to the National Safety Council and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The cost related to these statistics is astronomical, with the National Safety Council (NSC) estimating motor vehicle accident losses at $474 billion in 2020. 

Fleet safety should be at the forefront of any business continuity planning. In addition to improving employees’ well-being, strengthening fleet safety can reduce costs associated with several areas, including:

• Lost time by employees.
• Lost revenue because the equipment is not producing income.
• Failure to fill orders or meet deadlines.
• Lost time by rescheduling missed jobs.
• Lost time on accident investigations and reports by management.
• Possible increased insurance premiums.
• A possible increase for government audits and fines.
• Public relations damage.

What's the solution?

Develop a Fleet Safety Program. There are multiple resources to aid businesses in accomplishing this task, whether you have two vehicles or 200. Technology also is making a difference in supporting Fleet Safety Management with capabilities that include real-time monitoring, maintenance monitoring, route planning software, and even low-clearance integrated warning systems.

Several companies have technologies specifically designed for over-the-road and local route commercial fleets, including GARMIN and Rand McNally devices. In addition, there are third-party companies that create and sell Point of Interest Databases that integrate with these devices and can aid in planning a route by avoiding certain areas such as low clearance bridges, speed camera locations, and railroad crossings.

Implement a fleet safety program and use these available technologies. They are relatively inexpensive in comparison to the cost of having an accident, and they have the ability to improve your overall Fleet Safety Management when used correctly and consistently.