Must-Have Elements of an Effective Safe Driving Policy

A look at recent crash statistics underscores the importance of policies that outline a clear set of safety rules and regulations. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an estimated 42,915 people died in motor vehicle accidents in the United States in 2021, a 16-year high for fatalities. Moreover, the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety has found that work-related crashes cost employers more than $70 billion annually. 

From any angle, having a clear safe driver policy in place is critical. In this article, you'll learn about what to include in a safe driving policy, how to implement a policy, and how Samsara can help you implement a safety program that keeps drivers safe with virtual coaching tools.

Why is it important to develop a safe driver policy?

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related deaths in the United States, and more than one in three long-haul truck drivers have experienced a serious crash during their careers. Facts like these are a huge concern for industries—such as transportation and logistics—that employ a large number of drivers. Not only does a high accident rate result in a large number of serious injuries, but aside from bodily harm, these incidents can also lead to lost productivity, increased insurance costs, and potential lawsuits, among other issues. 

From any viewpoint, accidents are a significant problem for physical operations companies. This is why creating a safe driving policy is critical for any organizations that employ drivers. Specifically, these policies can help ensure:

• Employee safety: By promoting safe driving habits, employers can reduce the risk of accidents and help protect employees and the public from injury. Not only that, but a focus on employee safety can also help boost employee morale, retention, and output. In fact, a recent study by Lockheed Martin found that a strong culture of safety increased productivity by 24%.

• Risk management: A comprehensive policy can help identify potential hazards and establish guidelines to prevent accidents from happening. With fewer accidents, companies can better mitigate the potential risks that come with crashes, such as increased workers’ compensation costs.

• Legal compliance: Employers have a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for their employees, making legal compliance a critical part of effective risk management. Without a safe driving policy, a company can leave itself open to lawsuits from both their own employees and the general public. 

Factors to consider when developing a safe driving policy

Government agencies, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), do not require documented policies for driver safety, and there is no policy that is one-size-fits-all for every company. However, when developing a safe driving policy, there are several common factors that organizations of all types should keep in mind. These include:

• Federal, state, and local laws and regulations: At a minimum, companies need to ensure that their safe driving policy complies with all applicable laws and regulations. If you don’t have in-house expertise, specialized attorneys and safety consultants can help create a policy that defines proper vehicle use and complies with all applicable laws.

• Type of work and vehicles used: Drivers face different risks depending on the type of work that they do. For example, a long-haul driver who is transporting hazardous materials versus a delivery driver who operates mostly light-weight commercial vehicles. Organizations should tailor their policies to both vehicle type and the nature of the work their employees do, for instance, regulations that guarantee rest periods for long delivery runs.

• Maintenance schedules: According to the FMCSA, truck maintenance issues, including failed brakes and tire issues, are a factor in nearly 40% of accidents. For this reason, companies should create guidelines for regular vehicle maintenance to help make sure vehicles are safe to drive and pose no danger to operators or the public.

• Employee feedback: Drivers are the employees who will have hands-on experience with your safety policies in the real world. They can provide valuable input on whether your policy is effective, and can identify issues—including new hazards, training needs, and more—that need to be addressed. Moreover, involving drivers in the creation of a safe driver policy can help increase driver buy in and accelerate adoption. 

Information that should be included in a safe driving policy

Many safe driving rules may seem obvious—like wearing a seat belt, for example—but a safe driver policy should be clear, direct, and list every requirement that your organization identifies as being necessary to safely operate a vehicle. Here are several important areas to cover: 

• Driver qualifications: Set out what type of driver’s license is needed, the hours or years of experience a driver must have, any required training, and what an acceptable driving record can include, such as a record of any past moving violations.

• Guidelines for using company vehicles: Explain who is an authorized driver for your company vehicles and permissible uses of company cars and trucks, including any restrictions on personal use of company assets.

• Rules for the use of personal vehicles for work-related activities: If employees are using their own vehicles for company business, you should include requirements to ensure that the vehicles are properly maintained and have the appropriate insurance coverage. 

• Rules to prohibit aggressive driving: A safe driving policy should explicitly bar drivers from driving aggressively, including discouraging behaviors such as tailgating, excessive lane changes, and speeding. In addition, policies should spell out the need to follow all regular traffic laws, as well as encourage defensive driving, such as maintaining a safe following distance. 

• Requirements for using hands-free mobile devices: Cell phone usa is a major cause of accidents for all drivers, but the consequences can be especially dire for truck drivers. A FMCSA study, for example, found that texting while driving made truck drivers 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident. For this reason, a safe driving policy should require the use of hands-free mobile devices to minimize distractions.

• Rules for the use of safety equipment, such as seatbelts and airbags: The vast majority of commercial vehicles come with standard safety equipment like seatbelts, but that doesn’t mean that drivers always use them. In fact, a significant number of long-haul truck drivers—14%, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)—only wear safety belts sometimes or never. This is why it’s important to explicitly state safety rules, like wearing a seat belt, that may seem obvious. 

• Requirements for reporting maintenance issues: Drivers often have the most familiarity with a vehicle and are often the first line of defense against accidents caused by poor maintenance. For this reason, employees should be required to inspect their vehicles and be encouraged to report any maintenance or repair issues. 

How to implement and ensure compliance with safe driving policies

A safe driver policy is only effective if drivers understand and follow it. To help ensure that drivers understand the rules and regulations that they need to adhere to, you should focus on two key areas:

1. Communicating the policy: From day one, drivers should know about the safe driver policy at their place of work. Companies should make safe driving rules a significant part of driver onboarding, as well as ongoing safety training. Safety managers can also remind drivers of safe driving rules through employee newsletters, workplace posters, and other communications. With driver coaching solutions like Samsara, managers can also tailor communications to driver needs, such as delivering timely coaching updates remotely in the cab when drivers are on the road, or coaching in person at the depot.  In addition, employees should be aware of any disciplinary action that will be taken if they violate rules and regulations outlined in a policy. 

2. Monitoring and adjusting the policy, if needed: Safe driver policies need frequent review and adjustment to help make sure they are as effective as possible. To do this, safety managers can use technology, such as dash cameras and telematics information, to collect data, analyze incidents, and understand driving practices across their fleets. Companies should also have a way for employees to provide feedback about what safety policies work and may need improvement.

How Samsara can help support an effective safe driving policy

Samsara offers a comprehensive suite of products to support safe driving policies. With Virtual Coaching, for example, safety managers can provide drivers with real-time feedback on their driving performance, helping them to identify and self-coach unsafe behaviors such as tailgating or obeying speed limits.

To achieve this, Samsara AI Dash Cams can be configured to automatically detect behaviors that violate safety policies. Safety managers can also set up In-Cab Alerts that allow drivers to self-correct these behaviors before a manager is notified. Alerts can be configured for inattentive driving, tailgating, seat belt usage, and mobile usage. 

Moreover, organizations can also use the Driver Scores Dashboard in the Samsara Driver App to motivate drivers to improve their performance and compete with peers for recognition and rewards. One company that is doing just that is Samsara customer Foundation Building Materials. As Tom Fischbeck, ​​Regional VP, Pacific South Region, at the company explained: "With Safety Scores, drivers can see their numbers update in real time. They even show their score to other drivers in the break room. There's peer-to-peer visibility, which is a great thing."   

To learn more about how Samsara can help your drivers stay safe, read more about our proactive driver coaching solutions or reach out for a free trial today.