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Fleet Safety Programs Pay

If your company maintains an auto fleet (including passenger vans and pickups), you want to keep your insurance rates under control. One of the best ways to do that is to make your fleet as safe as possible.

There are three ways to make your fleet safer: choosing safe vehicles, screening company drivers, and setting policies for the safe use of company vehicles.

Choosing Safer Vehicles

Some of the factors that affect vehicle safety include:

1. Vehicle size. In general, larger vehicles are safer than smaller vehicles. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “in relation to their numbers on the road, small cars account for more than twice as many deaths as large cars.... Vans and standard-size pickups generally have the low death, injury and collision claims results associated with large vehicles.” The IIHS defines large vehicles as those with a wheelbase of 110 or more inches.

Many companies are concerned with fuel economy. But buying larger cars doesn’t necessarily mean you will spend more for fuel. A vehicle’s size (its exterior dimensions) has more of an effect on its safety performance than its weight, which directly affects fuel consumption.

2. Vehicle design. Designs that incorporate strong occupant compartments (“safety cages”) and “crumple zones” in the front and rear help protect driver and passengers by deflecting crash forces away from the occupants. Other things to look for include side-impact protection, which usually consists of energy-absorbing padding inside car doors and side guard beams; head restraints high enough to support the heads of taller occupants; and anti-lock brakes, which help prevent brakes from locking in.

3. Lap/shoulder belts. All new passenger vehicles have safety belts. Look for lap/shoulder belts that are comfortable, since they’re more likely to work. Other things to look for include “automatic crash tensioners” and “webbing grabbers,” which reduce an occupant’s forward movement in a crash.

4. Air bags. We strongly recommend buying cars that have air bags for both the driver and front-seat passenger. Side-impact air bags are becoming more widely available and should be taken into consideration when purchasing vehicles.

Screening Drivers

According to the IIHS, a study of California drivers with two convictions during a three-year period “were more than twice as likely to crash during the next three years as drivers with no [moving-vehicle] convictions. Drivers with three crashes on their records were more than three times as likely to crash.” Before hiring employees whose job duties include driving, obtain a copy of their driving record.

Setting Safety Rules

Before allowing employees to use company vehicles provide them with a list of rules for safe vehicle operation. Your rules should state:

• Drivers must obey traffic laws, including speed limits.
• Drivers and occupants must wear safety belts at all times.
• The use of alcohol is prohibited while driving company cars.
• The use of radar detectors is prohibited while driving company cars.
• Drivers should pull over to the side of the road when using car phones. (You may also equip company cars with phones that offer one-button dialing and hand-free operation.)

Of course, no rule is effective if it isn’t enforced. Define the penalties for disregarding the company’s fleet safety rules — from suspension of driving privileges to dismissal — and enforce them. 

riskVue | The webzine for risk management professionals
October 2000