According to a recent study, nearly 90% of all truck accidents are caused by human error and are, in most cases, avoidable. This demonstrates how critical it is for truck drivers to take the necessary precautions to avoid accidents in the first place.
Tips for Reducing Truck Crashes
To accomplish this, you must ensure that a culture of safety is promoted and that certain precautions are put in place, resulting in a lower overall rate of truck crashes.
Prioritize Safety
A commercial motor vehicle is more likely to be involved in an accident than your standard vehicle. This is because they’re ultimately much larger and more difficult to maneuver.
According to an FMCSA statistical study, environmental factors account for only 3% of all truck crashes. Considering this information, taking proper precautions and ensuring that your fleet adopts safe processes can lead to a variety of benefits.
The most obvious benefit is a reduction in accidents, which results in lower insurance premiums and fewer lawsuits.
If one of your trucks collides with another vehicle, possibly killing the driver, you’d be faced with lawsuits and hefty legal fees. This would result in a huge financial loss for your company and possibly tarnish your reputation. A culture that prioritizes safety is critical for avoiding situations like these.
Make Use of MVR Monitoring
MVR monitoring, also known as Motor Vehicle Record monitoring, is an effective method for fostering a safe work environment. In essence, MVR monitoring is a service that allows you to continuously monitor all your drivers’ driving records. This way you can stay on top of any violations or suspensions your drivers incur.
This system not only provides you with the information you need for employment purposes, but if your drivers are aware that you run MVRs on a regular basis, they’ll be less likely to put themselves in risky situations.
Maintain Up-To-Date Driver Files
When you run a trucking company with a large number of drivers, it’s important to maintain up-to-date driver qualification files.
To avoid any violations, the following information must be included in your files:
- The driver’s employment application
- A valid medical card
- Safety performance history
- Drug and alcohol test results
- Road test certificate
- MVR record
This information isn’t challenging to obtain; however, as the number of drivers in your fleet increases, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain up-to-date files. Therefore, taking advantage of an automated system that keeps track of these files for you can make the process a whole lot easier.
Bottom Line
Due to the sheer size of these heavy-duty vehicles, truck crashes can be fatal, making it all the more important to take proper precautions to promote road safety.
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