Municipal driver safety: 5 resources to share with your crew

When was the last time you revamped your Driver Safety Program?

We all think we’re great drivers, don’t we? In a joint document by NETS, NHTSA and OSHA some shocking statistics prove otherwise:

• Every 12 minutes someone dies in a motor vehicle crash
• Every 10 seconds a motor vehicle crash-related injury occurs
• Every 5 seconds a motor vehicle crash occurs

Unfortunately, car crashes are the leading cause of death and injury for all ages, and as employers, the cost of employee accidents can be substantial. You may think you’re immune to the risks of texting and driving, hitting the road while tired or messing with the radio behind the wheel — but you’re not. Accidents happen.

What can you do as an employer? Promote safe driving through a Driver Safety Program and make sure your team is up-to-date on your organization’s policies and procedures. Check out some of our resources to help construct or revamp a program and navigate those bumps on the road.

Driver Selection

For many municipal operations, company vehicles are extremely important on a daily basis. Because they also pose as liability threats, minimize the chance of accidents and injuries from the start by implementing a comprehensive employee screening.

Determining Preventability

Anyone behind the wheel should know the difference between accidents that are preventable and non-preventable. In the below bulletin, we discuss different types of accidents as well as various scenarios that show whether or not the incident was avoidable.

Backing Procedures

Many municipal vehicles face the issue of blind spots, which can make backing up difficult and result in accidents and injuries. To reduce this risk, a standard operating and training guideline should be implemented concerning driver and spotter responsibilities. 

Driver Monitoring Systems

Your team is likely well qualified and may also be knowledgeable of the policies and procedures in your Driver Safety Program. Even so, how do you ensure that they’re putting these best practices to good use? Consider monitoring systems. Enforcing these systems can help you identify hazardous behavior and maximize your effort to limit distractions and improve driver behavior.

Accident Reporting Packet

If an accident were to occur, would your team have the right tools on-hand? An accident reporting document should stay in vehicles at all times and employees should be well-aware of reporting procedures. This includes obtaining information from the police and witnesses, a description of the accident and photos of any damage.

Each year, vehicle accidents cost employers $60 billion in medical care, legal expenses, property damage and lost productivity. Sharing these resources and implementing a Driver Safety Program can help reduce this number, improve your bottom line and most importantly — save a life.