It is not uncommon to get annoyed when driving as many things can lead to this annoyance. These can include traffic, waiting behind a large vehicle, a vehicle driving too slowly in front of you, or being cut off. Such annoyance often leads to aggressive driving which is one of the leading causes of vehicle accidents around the world. Due to how much they affect businesses, fleet managers and business owners must find ways to ensure their drivers do not engage in aggressive driving.
Leverage Driver Behavior Monitoring Systems
These systems record daily vehicle activity so a business can see how its drivers behave and what their vehicles do on the road. They record aggressive driving behavior like harsh braking, speeding, turning without signaling, and more to let businesses know how their drivers behave on the road.
Driver behavior and fleet management systems like Geotab Go send this information to a central system so managers can access it remotely. Using this data, businesses and managers can identify patterns that lead to aggressive driving so they can talk to their drivers about it.
They can then provide proper training that helps promote better driving so they can prevent accidents. A secondary benefit of training drivers to not drive aggressively is reduced wear and tear on your fleet which could increase maintenance costs.
Install Dash Cams
Dash cams have become essential for backing up what a driver says happened before, during, and after an incident. However, they are also essential tools for preventing aggressive driving. Just like the behavioral monitoring systems above, managers and business owners can use them as evidence of what not to do in different situations. In this way, they become an important learning and training tool when used correctly.
Plan Routes Better
Drivers stuck in traffic for long periods are more likely to drive aggressively to get to their destination on time. Route optimization can reduce the amount of time drivers spend in traffic by helping fleet managers plan their routes more strategically. In addition to real-time data, fleet managers can also use historical data that shows how long drivers have spent in traffic on certain roads. They can also see how long certain routes take to complete at different times of day and choose the best ones according to the data they have and patterns they see.
Reduce Fatigue and Stress Levels
Tired and stressed drivers are more likely to drive aggressively and therefore be involved in an accident. Drivers in these states are also likely to react poorly or be involved in road rage incidents.
Fleet managers should be trained on how to not only schedule shifts properly but to also identify signs of stress and fatigue. Businesses should also implement open lines of communication so drivers can voice their concerns if they feel they cannot complete a route. Even though it might seem like doing this will lose the business money, the cost of allowing tired and stressed drivers on the road is much higher.
Aggressive driving is a leading cause of accidents that businesses must find ways to reduce or eliminate. Monitoring drivers, training them properly, and ensuring they do not drive when tired or stressed are all great places to start.
