Automotive Fleet, August 2018

AUTOMOTIVE FLEET I AUGUST 2018 12 Despite being flat crashes are still a problem for fleets and data reported for the 2017 calendar year has identified some of the biggest obstacles ANDY LUNDIN C urbing driver crashes remains a major focus for fleets despite recent data showing that these incidents in 2017 have been flat year over year Further still preliminary data for 2018 from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA has observed a 36 drop in traffic fatalities So while things may have evened out crashes remain a persistent problem for fleets and the reduction of preventable accidents such as distracted driving is one way to reduce the issue Preventable accidents are always going to be the most crucial accident type to address since it is the accident type drivers have the most control over said Chris Villella VP strategic relationship management for The CEI Group That style of training is usually followed by defensive driving techniques that can help drivers prevent accidents even when the type of accident that would have occurred would not be deemed preventable Jerry Veres certified director of safety for Fleet Response observed one of the largest reasons for preventable accidents is distracted driving Whether its hitting a stationary object or backing into something most of it can be avoided when a driver removes all distractions said Veres However the one other piece that drivers can be taught is how to avoid situations that increase their chances for an accident For example parking away from other cars or in a spot that avoids backing when you leave can help to avoid the rearend accidents in busy parking lots Data this year found that two of the top five incident descriptions listed for the survey were the result of crashes involving stationary objects and within parking lots Beyond distracted driving an increase in drivers on the road in recent years has contributed to the rising number of accidents over the last few years despite it being flat as of late Its been pretty flat but if you would compare the data over a three or four year period accidents have gone up and that is due to the lowering of prices for gas said Veres When you have lower gas prices you have more people on the road which means opportunity for accidents Meanwhile the increasing ubiquity of invehicle safety technology is one such solution designed to reduce this issue but has not necessarily been the case Proper training may improve the effectiveness of the technology New vehicle technology is making drivers complacent As back up cameras have become more prevalent more and more backing accidents have been cropping up which seems surprising until you realize the cause drivers are using just the camera and not turning around to check all the angles said Villella Now we have cars with adaptive cruise control and emergency braking systems becoming more commonplace so we remind fleets that drivers need training on new vehicle systems PHOTO ISTOCKPHOTO COM CREATIVAIMAGE DRIVERS USING A SEAT BELT AT THE TIME OF A REPORTABLE INCIDENT YES 96 NO 4 SOURCE CEI