Top driving risks in Northern California, Iowa, and Colorado

How can fleets use the reports?

According to Martin, the key is to use these insights to fuel the right conversations with fleet managers, dispatchers, and drivers.

“I’m a big believer not in big data but best data,” Martin said. “Leadership must equip frontline managers, drivers, or field techs with the best data. That best data has to tell them what their threats are and what they need to be prepared for—doing so through training and awareness campaigns on defensive driving skills, knowledge about dangerous streets, intersections, interchanges, or times of day.”

Passenger vehicle drivers pose a significant risk for fleet operations. Passenger cars are responsible for most crashes between themselves and commercial vehicles. While fleets can’t train other road users, they can prepare their drivers for the danger that others pose.

Roadways are what they are, Martin said, but fleets can equip their drivers to maintain defensive driving. Attentive drivers can reduce the risk that these other vehicles pose.

“The three things that everybody says they’re seeing more of out there when I talk to drivers and frontline managers is they’re seeing more drivers distracted, aggressive, or impaired,” Martin said. “Today’s best drivers have the mindset of protecting themselves and others around them because, when something is developing, they’ve identified it, and they’re 100% focused, 100% of the time.”

The data not only helps prepare for risky times/areas. It can allow dispatchers to keep their drivers away from those external risks and help managers to watch for the top risky behaviors among their drivers. Martin said that reducing these risks not only boosts safe operations but puts the carrier in a winning position for efficiency, productivity, and customer service.

“Today’s best companies do this, and they do it well,” Martin said. “It also saves on fuel, it saves on brakes, and it saves on tires. There’s a tremendous payback on it.”