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Some businesses have company vehicles regularly used by employees for deliveries, client visits, and other tasks. These cars or trucks can be insured in a way that provides added peace of mind for everyone involved. An effective way to keep commercial vehicle insurance costs in check once coverage is in place is to encourage safe driving practices. The experienced agents from Altra Insurance Services, a premier provider of auto, motorcycle, homeowners, and commercial insurance San Diego residents rely on for high-quality service, offer some tips to consider and recommend for employees.
Offer Driving Training Programs & Safety Reminders
If the driving tasks your employees are required to do for your business involve fully loaded service trucks or specialized vehicles, regular driving training updates and reminders can be beneficial. This also applies if your employees use cars or trucks when driving conditions might be hazardous.
Employee driving programs can be as simple as reminders about such things as:
• Driving with extra care during inclement weather
• Properly securing any loads being transported
• Correctly adjusting seats and mirrors
• Spotting any potential vehicle issues that should be reported
Encourage Pre-Trip Route Planning
Remind people on your staff who regularly drive on the job to make sure they’re fully aware of where they’re going and how to get there. This may seem obvious, but it’s not out of the ordinary to have difficulty finding clients’ offices or customers’ homes. Driving when trying to figure out where the intended destination is located can be distracting enough to shift concentration away from the road, which increases the risk of accidents. Instead, remind your employees to map out trips ahead of time so sufficient attention can be maintained while driving.
With pre-trip planning, also encourage your employees to:
• Allow enough time to get to scheduled appointments to avoid rushing
• Determine the most logical way to get to planned destinations to avoid excess driving
• Make sure the vehicle is fueled or charged enough to handle the full duration of the trip
Discourage Driving when Tired or Not Alert
Keep an eye on your employees to see if there are signs of excess fatigue or other issues that could make driving unsafe. At the very least, encourage your staff to self-monitor to determine if they’re capable of safely driving. If your employees regularly go out on service calls in pairs, this could simply involve trading driving duties.
Avoid Overloading Vehicles
Employees often take samples, tools, and accessories with them when going to visit customers or clients. Vehicles can also get overloaded if your employees are making several deliveries in the same general area. Regardless of what’s carried in the vehicles your employees use, remind them to not overload them to the point where visibility is impaired. Overloaded vehicles can also present safety risks if the items inside fall over because they’re stacked too high or improperly secured.
Make Safety-Boosting Technology Available
Using technology that increases driver safety is another safe driving practice that should be encouraged. Tools, devices, and features of this nature worth investing in for your company/business vehicles include:
• Hands-free headsets for phones
• Voice-activated devices to help with navigation
• Backup cameras
• Forward collision warning systems
Driving safely provides a number of benefits, not the least of which is the reduced risk of being in an accident. If you’re involved in an accident, it’s essential to have reliable auto insurance in San Diego. Their drivers know they can trust the team from Altra Insurance Services to be there when they need assistance. For a free quote, give us a call today at (619) 404-6311.