Road safety actions for the fleet manager and drivers

Road safety actions are essential to provide greater peace of mind during trips and to avoid unexpected problems.

This is because a constant concern for fleet managers is the risks on the road, since they can directly affect the safety of drivers and vehicles, in addition to affecting the company's reputation.

The goal is always to reduce risks to a minimum and ensure maximum protection for employees and vehicles. Therefore, it is essential for the manager to establish clear policies and adopt advanced technologies to ensure that safety is a strategic pillar in all of the company's operations.

Check it out:

• What affects road safety?
• What road safety actions can the manager take?
• Road safety tips for the fleet's drivers.

What affects road safety?

Road safety can be affected for several reasons.

Among them, we can mention some elements that can be corrected, such as the drivers' behavior, responsibilities for following the planned routes and protocols, and driving style.

However, there are also some uncontrollable situations, such as weather factors, road conditions and theft of cargo or vehicles.

It is important to know these risk factors in transport operations so that it is possible to find the best and most effective road safety actions.

What road safety actions can the manager take?

The manager is the main person responsible for identifying the risks to the fleet's safety and understanding the best practices to avoid or deal with dangerous situations.

Their role is to promote a safety culture and always reinforce the importance of following both the company's directives and processes and the traffic rules and laws.

Road safety policies

Developing road safety policies, establishing clear guidelines for drivers, should be one of their priorities.

Include rules on speed, seat belt use, a ban on electronic devices while driving, among other more general aspects, but also include directives on the proper use of the vehicles and the appropriate actions for the upkeep of the fleet.

Driver selection and training

Whenever a new employee joins the fleet, they should go through the training processes and understand how all the routines and activities work, in order to correctly follow the operation's standards.

However, this is not the only moment when training is necessary. In fact, it should be a constant practice in your operation, bringing updates and simulations on defensive driving, first aid and other awareness aspects of safety actions in the fleet.

Vehicle maintenance

One of the most common causes of traffic accidents or of problems that require opening service calls on the road is mechanical failure. That is why it is essential that you create a maintenance routine in the fleet, in addition to making sure it is followed correctly.

Vehicles in good condition reduce the risk of accidents caused by failures, just as good driving by the drivers reduces the chances of impacts and accidents on the road.

You should both ensure that preventive inspections are carried out and that corrective services are always scheduled, avoiding unpleasant surprises.

Monitoring behavior and performance by driver

The drivers' behavior is the main factor you should keep track of when a vehicle is on the road. It is essential to be aware of excessive acceleration or risky behavior, such as dangerous overtaking and disregard for other traffic signs.

Route monitoring technologies are the best alternative for real-time visibility of the vehicles in operation, as well as high-precision data collection for you to generate reports and analyses of your operation.

Properly keeping track of the drivers' performance can also help avoid fines and reduce costs in this area of the fleet. It is important to keep records of these infractions and penalties, allowing you to identify patterns and take corrective action when necessary.

And what can lead to fines in the fleet?

• Speeding;
• Improper cell phone use;
• Lack of vehicle maintenance;
• Expired documents;
• Improper overtaking;
• Excess weight, especially in heavy vehicles;
• Excess passengers, where applicable;
• Parking in a prohibited place (in Portuguese);
• Among others.

Road safety action tips for drivers

In addition to the manager's actions, it is important that drivers are aware of their responsibility and of which road safety actions they should take to contribute to this goal of the fleet.

Some actions that you can present to the drivers, even as a goal in their work, are:

Practice defensive driving

As a manager, you should provide the training and guidance on what defensive driving practices are. On the driver's side, you should ensure that they are driving in accordance with what they were instructed.

In this case, simple actions, such as keeping a safe distance from other vehicles, correctly signaling maneuvers in traffic and slowing down at a yellow light, are simple guidelines that are easy to follow.

In addition, keeping acceleration moderate and braking with adequate time and distance are also extremely important attitudes that contribute to defensive driving.

Respect road speed limits

Every highway and road has an established speed limit. The manager should identify the permitted speeds and inform their driver of them.

The driver, in turn, should pay attention to the signals and signs along their route in order to stay within the limits and avoid fines and unnecessary risks.

Avoid distractions

Especially when driving for long hours, drivers use resources to stay alert at the wheel, such as listening to the radio, for example. However, it is important that they are aware and do not use very high volumes that could take their attention away from traffic.

In addition, the use of cell phones or other types of devices should be avoided entirely when their hands are on the wheel. Besides being subject to a fine, it makes the driver lose focus and increases the risk of accidents.

A resource such as video telematics may be your option for greater control over these road safety actions.

To manage your operation well with a focus on safety, you need proper control of the drivers and also of your operation's fines.

To do so, check out our free spreadsheets (in Portuguese): driver control and traffic fine management.