All you have to do is spend an hour on a major roadway to know this fundamental truth: The roads are less safe. Indeed, despite the genuinely impressive safety advancements made by car manufacturers, car accidents are increasing. Unfortunately, as more accidents occur, injuries and deaths also increase.
This issue is of significant concern for everyone who drives or uses roadways and fleet managers. After all, car accidents pose more than just a safety threat: They also pose a significant financial risk in the form of damaged vehicles, lost productivity, and increased insurance costs.
Fleet managers must be able to answer two fundamental questions: What is causing this spike in accidents, and what can they do to increase the safety of their staff, customers, and fleets?
Why Are Accidents Increasing?
Fleet managers can only begin to develop necessary solutions if they understand why car accidents are increasing.
The first reason seems to be distracted driving. As phones become increasingly ubiquitous in our lives, individuals are showing increasing difficulty putting down these devices—even if that means risking their safety and the safety of those on the road around them. As a result, government officials have launched numerous marketing campaigns and passed multiple laws designed to crack down on distracted driving.
It is important to note that distracted driving does not only refer to using a mobile device while operating a vehicle. Other forms of distracted driving — such as having conversations or listening to loud music — can also cause more accidents.
Two other factors are commonly cited as contributing to increased accidents. First, more people are speeding. Speed and the severity of an accident are intrinsically linked, and as speed increases, so does the risk of accident, injury, or death.
Second, there has been an increase in DUIs, or driving under the influence. This can be as a result of alcohol or drug use. Levels of overuse and abuse of addictive substances (including drugs and alcohol) are increasing across the country, resulting in more people engaging in risky behavior behind the wheel.
Finally, it is important to consider that all three factors often influence each other. As people drive more distracted, they may be more likely to engage in inappropriate driving behaviors, like risky or aggressive driving.
What Can Fleet Managers Do?
The statistics are extremely troubling, but here’s the good news: By investing in the right equipment, you can ensure your fleet is as safe as possible.
First, dashcams can provide invaluable assistance. When used properly, dashcams — which are usually relatively easy to install and can be connected back to a fleet management platform — can alert you to problematic driving behavior. However, they can also record footage of an accident, providing evidence that can help ensure you don’t pay more than you need to if there is a crash. With certain hardware, you can even use a dashcam to see exactly what your driver is seeing. This lets you have a live view and provide immediate feedback for driving problems.
Advanced systems can also provide driver performance alerts. These systems use telematics to monitor your driver’s behavior and alert you to regular safety problems, such as speeding, abrupt steering changes, distracted driving, and more. These driver performance alerts can also enable you to monitor driving behavior that may lead to fuel efficiency challenges, like excess speeding. You should be able to view all of trip history data in your fleet management platform and create a customizable report to serve as a driver performance record. Furthermore, these reports can provide information that is individualized OR fleet-wide. That data enables you to make broader decisions about training.
Maintenance issues remain a cause of accidents, and you must ensure that you care for your fleet by preemptively managing any maintenance issues. Fortunately, the right system can alert you when you have such problems. There are at least two functions fleet managers should enable to maintain the safety of their fleet. First, you can always use vehicle health data and DTC alerts to know your car’s condition. These alerts let you know if any problems require immediate attention and allow you to dispatch assistance, such as an additional driver or tow truck.
Furthermore, smart maintenance functions can track preventative maintenance and connect you to nearby businesses that can provide for your maintenance needs. When used right, these functions can even provide reminders, track work done, enable online scheduling, and allow for electronic payment. In other words, you can keep your vehicles healthy and safe at a reduced price and with increased efficiency.
Partner With Zubie Today
It takes an investment in the right equipment, personnel, and experience to make your fleet safer. At Zubie, we’re proud to be part of that solution. We have years of experience building a robust fleet management system to monitor safety issues, alert you of potential maintenance problems, and ensure you know if a driver needs help. Our state-of-the-art system is constantly upgraded to include the latest technology, ensuring you are ready to manage your fleet from anywhere.
Want to learn more? We’re here to help. Contact us today for additional information and to learn more about how Zubie can make your fleet safer.