This publish is a part of a collection sponsored by IAT Insurance Group.
There’s a lot knowledge to be extracted from Aesop’s timeless fable “The Tortoise and the Hare” in relation to driver dashing.
As the Hare found, dashing doesn’t save time or sources. Instead, research present that whereas drivers solely acquire mere minutes once they exceed the pace restrict by 10 miles per hour,[1] dashing will increase each the probability of a crash and fatalities occurring.[2]
In 2021, pace was concerned in 29% of all traffic-related deaths, and a mean of 33 folks within the U.S. had been killed every day in a speeding-related site visitors incident.[3]
Non-crash penalties of dashing
Beyond a crash, damage or fatality, dashing has a number of penalties, together with:
Speeding tickets, impacting each the motive force and the fleet service. Most states don’t let drivers with a CDL take a security class to keep away from conviction, and fleet drivers stopped for dashing are sometimes subjected to a prolonged inspection and extra citations. The common price of loss for an accident involving a fleet automobile is roughly $70,000,[4] and naturally, prices for industrial insurance coverage enhance for drivers with poor driving data.
Loss of employment and/or driving privileges is a substantial consequence for fleet drivers who pace. Most carriers have a dashing coverage that permits for minimal driver violations earlier than employment privileges are taken away and the motive force is let go. In addition, most states enable insurance coverage firms to exclude drivers with a number of infractions from their industrial insurance coverage insurance policies, which frequently leads to the termination of employment. Speeding drivers who don’t lose their jobs should still lose out on their organizations’ driver security bonus incentives.
4 methods fleet carriers can cut back dashing and enhance security
It is crucial to proactively reduce the prevalence of dashing in your corporation. Here are 4 methods to do it:
- Learn from telematics knowledge.
Telematics pulls again the curtain on driver habits to offer clear insights into the challenges your drivers are having on the highway. Pay shut consideration to your workforce’s pace and if there are particular areas or areas that drivers are inclined to recurrently pace via. Understand which drivers and areas are recurring offenders.
Engage in enchancment teaching with “hare” drivers who’ve frequent occurrences of laborious accelerations, laborious braking, cornering pace and idle time whereas additionally recognizing the extra optimistic driver habits of your “tortoise” drivers.
- Schedule drivers for achievement.
Delays are frequent and drivers might really feel the necessity to pace to make up for misplaced time, whether or not they obtained a late begin or hit sudden site visitors. Make positive drivers have sufficient time to soundly arrive at their vacation spot with out feeling rushed. Traffic could cause anxiousness and misery, so plan realistically and make efforts to keep away from high-traffic areas throughout rush hour by delaying departure occasions or altering routes.
Step again and reply this query to judge if your organization tradition is aligned:
Do we ship a constant message that crucial factor is for our drivers to prioritize a protected and good haul, or are we inadvertently reinforcing drivers who get there as quick as they’ll, whatever the dangers?
- Stay on prime of upkeep.
Trucks which are effectively maintained can have much less motive to be sidetracked, stopped or have an accident on the highway. Thoroughly examine and keep all autos to assist keep away from mechanical points whereas driving. Topping off gas and wiper fluid and checking tire strain forward of time are minor steps that can also keep away from main delays.
- Practice persistence (despite the fact that it’s laborious)!
Lack of persistence is a typical motive for dashing, so take the time to search out what helps you keep composure and self-restraint if you’re feeling below strain.
Drivers: Take a second to breathe, chill out and prioritize protected driving if you really feel behind or rushed.
Fleet operators: Foster a tradition of life like expectations and understanding so drivers really feel empowered to make protected selections on the highway.
The penalties of dashing are actual and will be devastating. Remember Aesop’s fable: The race doesn’t all the time go to the swift. For skilled industrial drivers and their fleet carriers, the race is received by those that end the job and ship the products safely.
ASK A LOSS CONTROL REPRESENTATIVE
Have a query on how one can mitigate threat? Email losscontroldirect@iatinsurance.com for an opportunity to see your query answered in a future weblog.
By Dewayne Reeder
[1] KTLA5 “Why speeding doesn’t save drivers much time,” May 1, 2023.
[2] Insurance Institute for Highway Safety “Speed,” July 2023.
[3] National Safety Council “Motor Vehicle Safety Issues,” accessed November 25, 2023.
[4] Insurance Business Magazine “What’s next for commercial auto risk in 2023?,” January 12, 2023.
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