If your employees drive in order to complete vital job duties, they’re professional drivers. And without the proper training, they’re putting themselves, others, and your company at risk.
According to the CDC, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related deaths in the United States. This has cost companies millions of dollars. Worse yet, it’s caused thousands of people to suffer injuries or even lose their lives. It’s not just truck drivers either. These numbers include light-duty vehicle drivers.
Whether your employees drive to a construction site, visit customer homes to spray for pests and rodents, or pick-up dry cleaning, they face tremendous risk out on the road. By investing in light-duty vehicle safety training, you can save lives while saving money in the process.
Driving is the most dangerous thing your employees do - we guarantee it. Even if you have linemen fixing downed telephone poles, driving is more dangerous because they’re more likely to have an accident while behind the wheel.
The CDC has shared some valuable statistics to back-up these claims. Consider the following:
The fact is, these accidents happen to workers in all types of industries all over the country. It could happen to one of your people any day. This isn’t to scare you - it’s just a fact. Driving needs to be treated as serious for every company.
The risks don’t stop at the people behind the wheel, though. Companies face tremendous financial risk from their light-duty vehicle drivers. Consider the following facts from the CDC:
When it comes to an accident, you face the possibility of lost-time from workers, rising insurance claims, large fines from court, and a bruised reputation. The costs of accidents are wide-spread and severe.
If you’re reading this, chances are that accidents are common, costly, and deadly in your industry. The good news is, accidents are entirely preventable. You just need to educate your drivers on safe defensive driving habits.
Effective safety training reduces your drivers’ unsafe behaviors. The less unsafe behaviors, the less chances they have an accident.
You’re probably wondering: where do I begin with driver safety training? You more or less have two options:
If you want to learn more about our professional light-duty vehicle training, check out The Fleet Safety Course.
All of your drivers need safety training - newbies and veterans alike. So, what’s the best way to implement safety training, and when should it happen?
It’s important to remember that safety training isn’t a single event. It must be a continually part of working for your company. It allows you to make safety an integral part of your company culture.
That said, one of the best opportunities to implement safety training is when you first hire a new employee. Safety training as part of new-hire training sends the message that being a safe driver is one of the most important job responsibilities. We recommend that you assign online defensive driving training to new employees right after orientation.
With new-hire safety training down, follow-up with re-training and monthly safety meetings. This ensures that your employees will put essential defensive driving practices to use through their entire career with your company.
Whether your drivers are behind the wheel of a big-rig, a pick-up truck, or a sedan, they face serious risk. Accidents are common, costly, and deadly in nearly all industries. But that doesn’t have to be the case for your company.
Investing in defensive driving training now could save you tons of money on insurance premiums, workers’ comp, and court visits later. Most importantly, it could save your employees from pain and suffering. By investing in defensive driving training, you’re protecting both your bottom line and your employees.