Reducing Vehicle Accidents
The largest liability facing the moving and storage industry is motor vehicle accidents. When larger commercial vehicles are involved in accidents, the bodily injury and damage to personal property is 3 to 4 times more severe than accidents that involve private passenger vehicles. A company that takes the time to select the proper driver and provide the required training will reduce motor vehicle accidents and cut down on future insurance costs.
The most important step a company can take in reducing accidents is driver selection. Motor vehicle records (MVR’s) must be reviewed at least annually, and drivers should be tested with both written and practical driving tests more frequently. To ensure compliance with state and federal laws, drivers need to complete a physical and drug and alcohol testing on a regular basis. The DOT requirement stipulates that drug and alcohol testing needs to take place on all drivers prior to employment and following an accident. In addition, 50% of drivers should be tested for drugs, and 10% tested for alcohol annually, on a random basis. Drivers can also be tested if there is reasonable suspicion of drug or alcohol use.
Once the driver is hired, training should be ongoing and occur between the driver and his helper. Nearly 40% of all accidents occur in parking lots or while backing a vehicle. These are the easiest accidents to control and are almost always preventable. Drivers and helpers should work with hand signals that each are familiar with; the helpers should also be taught where to stand so they can be seen by the driver and where the helper can see any hazards and direct traffic when needed. A helper should always be used in parking lots, driveways or where obstructions hide on-coming traffic. Both the helper and driver should be aware of signal requirements while the truck is parked. Signal triangles are required to be placed at 100 feet in both directions and 10 feet from the rear of the vehicle, or up to 500 feet when the vehicle is obstructed by a curve.
While on the road the driver needs to be alert and aware of changing traffic conditions and weather. Drivers also need to know both height and width of their vehicles. Tree branches, building overhangs, and undercrossing cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in trailer and truck damage every year. Helpers should always be used in these instances. If you hear a bang or scrape, then it is too late! If the driver is involved in an accident, proper training of accident investigation procedures is critical.
Companies should consider sending drivers for additional training to one of the National Safety Council (NSC) Defensive Driving Courses. A formal driver selection protocol and training program will go a long way to reducing the potential for accidents.
Written By: Brandon Laam
Brandon has been an Underwriter in the Transportation industry for over 6 years. After having a hand in the creation of a start-up MGA, he ended up finding his niche within the Moving & Storage industry. Outside of the office Brandon likes to fish, hike, kayak, garden and read.