Good drivers are the backbone of every successful fleet. They also represent a great deal of risk for fleet managers. When trying to decide whether a fleet safety course is worth it, fleet managers should look at all the factors that apply to their particular fleet.

Taking steps to prepare drivers for winter road conditions requires focusing on details of safety under cold weather conditions. The time to start preparing is in the weeks before the winter weather arrives. 

In fleets requiring drivers to travel long distances (such as sales fleets), most drivers either use their own vehicle or one provided by the company. One of the biggest keys to manage risk when driving in these situations is for the driver to receive training in the vehicle they use for work.

For every fleet, success depends on driver performance. Safe driving practices are essential to fleets running efficiently and effectively. Behind the wheel training is key for drivers, teaching them the best practices for driving a business-owned vehicle.

The emergence of electric vehicles (EV) represents a way for fleets to reduce the impact of operations on the environment. But it also presents new challenges, with technology inside the cabin that may serve as a distraction for drivers, potentially leading to costly crashes and collisions.

There are a wide variety of driver improvement courses for fleet drivers that help them improve behind-the-wheel performance. The training helps improve the safety of the drivers themselves and others on the road. It also helps fleets better manage risk, reduce insurance costs and build employee confidence in their abilities.

One of the keys to successful fleet management is making smart decisions when buying new fleet vehicles. It’s important to weigh the most critical factors for this major investment, including the intended use of the vehicle, the routes the vehicle will travel, maintenance issues associated with the vehicle and choosing the right ADAS features, especially those with the best performance ratings, can reduce the chance of crashes.

Fleet managers looking for training that benefits drivers of all skill levels can turn to online defensive driving courses to provide high-quality, effective driver training to their fleet. Online courses give managers a variety of options so they can choose the training that best meets their needs, including instructor-led virtual courses, self-paced eLearning courses, and online assessments.

Fleet managers must constantly assess risk in many different areas, but almost all the situations that can lead to potential liability involve driver performance. Developing a driver risk management program is a smart step toward lowering risk, improving safety, and avoiding liability lawsuits.

Multitasking while driving is one of the most dangerous things a driver can do behind the wheel. Why? Because drivers are fooling themselves believing they can multitask. Extensive research has proven that drivers are actually performing separate tasks sequentially and once attention is moved to a non-driving task, risk factors significantly increase. Unfortunately, the result is apparent in crash data, with distracted driving ranked as one of the biggest causes of traffic fatalities every year.

Fleet managers face many challenges, but choosing the right fleet driver training program should not rank among them. Advances in today’s training programs allow managers to more easily find the specific type of training that best suits their needs.

Engineers design Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS) to make driving safer, but recent traffic crash data shows they may pose safety risks. This is especially the case for drivers who have not received behind-the-wheel training on the best strategies for using ADAS.