This paper examines accident prevention in fleet safety management, beginning with the significant human and financial costs of transportation incidents in the United States and Australia. It outlines the purpose of fleet safety programs, referencing regulatory frameworks such as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The paper then details the four core elements of a small fleet safety program—planning, organizing, evaluation, and maintenance—describing the specific responsibilities within each phase. It also addresses criteria for selecting safe drivers, including background checks, road tests, and psychological screening tools. The paper concludes by emphasizing that all four elements must be implemented together, alongside rigorous employee screening, to effectively reduce accidents, costs, and liability.
According to Della-Guistina (2005), "losses from transportation incidents are significant and include death, injury, wage losses, hiring and training expenses, higher insurance premiums, property damage, and business losses." The primary cause of accidental death in the United States can be attributed to motor vehicle incidents. Della-Guistina (2005) states that approximately 50,000 people die and more than 2 million receive disabling injuries each year, with the overall death rate being approximately 22 per 100,000 motor vehicle incidents. Studies indicate that approximately 25 to 35 percent of all job-related deaths can be attributed to incidents involving motor vehicles.
Safety directors of motor fleets should focus on both the direct and indirect costs associated with their vehicular operations. A motor fleet safety program can do for fleet operations what similar safety and loss control programs do for an organization — that is, employ a competent, well-trained workforce; recognize hazards along with past losses; and take appropriate action to prevent potential losses from occurring (Della-Guistina, 2005).
According to Della-Guistina (2005), the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have ensured the adoption of uniform safe practices and policies by the motor fleet and bus transit industries. All new drivers are required to be trained, accident reports must be developed, follow-up corrective measures must be taken, and vehicle inspections must be performed daily. Further requirements include safety equipment and devices, side and rear lights and reflectors, and hydraulic and air brakes. Safe driving practices are also mandated, including limitations on the number of hours a driver may drive. Meetings are held in which training and discussion occur, and competition programs among drivers and fleets are used to motivate drivers to maintain clean records. Additional motivation is provided through incentives such as bonuses and other rewards for clean driving records.
The purpose for prevention is clearly illustrated by statistics from an Australian study, which states: "Workers' compensation, compulsory third party (CTP) and damage-only insurance data all illustrate the extent of the problem. Queensland Workers' Compensation figures provided by Robinson (2001) for 1997–2000 show that vehicle accident payments from 10,195 claims (5% of total claims) cost over $52.5 million (10% of total costs) and resulted in 233,013 workdays absent (9% of total days). Vehicles were involved in 99 (43%) of the fatal claims. Further revealed was that in 2000/2001, heavy truck drivers made up 33% of total payments, 26% of lost time, and 11% of vehicle claims" (Murray et al., 2003).
The four elements of developing a Fleet Safety Management Plan are: (I) Planning, (II) Organizing, (III) Evaluation, and (IV) Maintenance.
The planning phase requires a commitment by the owner and management of the company and includes the following components:
(Source: Your Fleet Reflects Your Image… How Do You Manage It?, 1998)
This is the organizational phase of fleet safety and encompasses the following four aspects:
(Source: Your Fleet Reflects Your Image… How Do You Manage It?, 1998)
During this phase, the following items are given consideration:
(Source: Your Fleet Reflects Your Image… How Do You Manage It?, 1998)
This phase deals with policies, procedures, and the hiring and retaining of drivers, as well as the ongoing maintenance of fleet safety and equipment. Consistent maintenance is necessary to assure reliability and safety, and it eliminates costs and losses while preventing accidents. (Source: Your Fleet Reflects Your Image… How Do You Manage It?, 1998)
Driver recruiting and selection is described in SafeReturns (ATAF, 1999a) as follows: "starting with the right people is key to overall safety performance." Those who apply the 80-20 rule in hiring — and who rarely or never hire from the bottom 20 percent — eliminate the largest portion of potential crash risk and liability. Guidelines for recruiting and hiring safe drivers are laid out in the Truck Driver Risk Assessment Guide (ATAF, 1996b). Included in recruiting advertisements are: (a) company practices relevant to safety, (b) specific safety-related criteria for employment, (c) specific "dos and don'ts" for employment application forms and structured interviews, and (d) federal regulations on required background checks as well as additional recommended background checks.
You’re 63% through this paper. Sign up to read the full paper.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.