How’s your driving?

A strong fleet safety program is an excellent defense against the potential company and personal liabilities associated with motor vehicle incidents involving employees driving on company business.

What is a fleet? Technically, a fleet is defined as the ownership of five or more vehicles by a commercial business. But much of the information included in this brochure can be applied to any business with a vehicle.

Why do you need a safety program? The simple answer is to protect your human and financial resources. A fleet safety program will:

• Help you control the costs associated with motor vehicle crashes in the workplace
• Establish and communicate expectations regarding safe driving practices, policies and procedures
• Help you identify loss prevention and control strategies that will benefit your organization and your bottom line
• Help you plan for the unexpected
• Document management’s commitment, responsibility, authority, and accountability for safe driver and vehicle operations
• Help satisfy local, state and federal laws and regulations governing traffic safety in the workplace

Liability risks In today’s litigious society, even one driver error or poorly maintained vehicle can have a major impact on a business. Here are a few examples of how an employer can be held liable:

• Acts of negligence on the part of employees
• Allowing an employee use of a company vehicle, when the employer knew, or should have known, the employee was an incompetent (high risk) driver, or unfit to drive, and created a foreseeable risk of harm to others
• Allowing an employee use of a company vehicle when the employer knew, or should have known, the vehicle was unfit to drive, and that condition contributed to the incident
• Incidents that would not have happened if an incompetent (high risk) driver had not been hired
• Failure to provide appropriate supervision and training for company drivers
• Failure to dismiss or revoke driving privileges of incompetent (high risk) drivers

Sample program Here are the components of a sample fleet safety program provided by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS)*.

10-step fleet safety program

1. Senior management commitment
2. Written policies and procedures
3. Driver agreements
4. Motor Vehicle Record check
5. Driver training/communication
6. Vehicle selection, maintenance and inspection
7. Regulatory compliance
8. Incident reporting and investigation
9. Disciplinary action system
10. Reward/incentive program

*NETS is a public/private partnership that engages employers of all sizes and industry-types in seeking, developing, and expanding best practices in traffic safety. It is the only organization dedicated exclusively to traffic safety in the workplace. More detailed information on using these steps to improve traffic safety performance is available in the NETS Traffic Safety Primer: A Guidebook for Employers