Commercial vehicles, such as taxi cabs and trucks, are just as prone to accidents as personal vehicles are. Every year, businesses across the U.S. lose millions due to fleet mishaps. Apart from revenue losses, these accidents are also a concern from the employee safety perspective. Moreover, they open your business to the risk of litigation and reputational damage. Fortunately, it is possible to keep accidents at bay if you pay attention to commercial vehicle safety. Whether you operate a few cars or run a fleet of commercial vehicles, you can implement the following practices and policies to take your organization a long way.
Invest in reliable vehicles
The most obvious measure to prevent mishaps is by investing in vehicles with a good reputation for safety on-road. Before you add cars or trucks to your fleet, it makes sense to research the options and pick only the best ones. It is easy to find a list of the safest brands for American roads online. It is vital to keep track of the existing vehicles in the fleet. You need to replace the ones that no longer match up to the safety criteria.
Stay a step ahead with proactive vehicle maintenance
Proactive maintenance for your fleet is another measure that can reduce the chances of accidents. Have a regular checkup and maintenance schedule so that you can stay a step ahead with their safety on-road. Also, ensure that employees operating these cars report issues at the earliest. Once you are aware of the issues, address them right away to curb the chances of mishaps.
Implement strict driving rules
Accidents do not just happen due to vehicle issues; human error is an equally prevalent cause. It is vital to implement strict driving rules for your employees and enforce them stringently because your business can be held liable for their negligence. In at-fault states like Mississippi, you have chances of encountering high-value personal injury claims if another driver or pedestrian gets injured in a mishap with your company vehicle. For example, the victim can hire a local Jackson MS car accident attorney and sue you for massive compensation. Enforcing rules like mandatory seat belt use, no cellphone use, and zero tolerance for intoxicants can prevent accidents and litigation.
Invest in driver training
Implementing safety rules for your drivers is only half the work done. You can go the extra mile by investing in proactive driver training to ensure that they are capable of driving company vehicles in the safest possible way. Training is essential for new employees who just join the organization, while you also need to check their driving records before getting them on board. Regular training for the existing employees is also important, particularly when you get new vehicles for the fleet. You also need to arrange special training for employees who recently had accidents.
Safety should be the top priority for any business that lets employees run its vehicles for work. Just a little extra attention can save your company, employees, and others on the road from big trouble.
