Motor Vehicle & Driver Safety Loss Control Guideline

Motor Vehicle & Driver Safety Loss Control Guideline

Motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of accident and injury in the workforce, including local governments, whose employees drive thousands of miles serving citizens across our state. From emergency services to public transportation services and roadway maintenance, keeping local government employees safe while on the road is always an important goal.

Typically, the month of April is recognized as Distracted Driving Awareness Month through the National Safety Council. Although this year’s campaign was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the dangers of car crashes should not be overlooked.

The National Safety Council provides some staggering facts pertaining to car crashes:

• Car crashes are the #1 cause of workplace deaths
• Distracted driving is a leading factor in road fatalities
• 94% of car crashes are caused by driver error

PE Partners’ loss control department offers a Motor Vehicle & Driver Safety Loss Control Guideline that is available through our online portal. A key recommendation of this guideline is to establish a motor vehicle and driver safety program for your entity’s employees.

A basic written policy for motor vehicle and driver safety should address:

• Driver selection
• Driver training
• Fleet inspection and maintenance
• Accident reporting procedures
• Accident review
• Cell phone usage
• Take-home vehicles

One of the most important components of this program is the selection of drivers. Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) checks should be included in background checks for new hires in positions that require driving, whether it’s your organization’s vehicles or personal vehicles used for official business. Another important component is a written policy requiring seat belts to be worn by all drivers, regardless of any exemptions that may be provided in state or federal law.

Additional tools that can help monitor the effectiveness of your program include real-time vehicle telematics to monitor driver behavior, and vehicle diagnostics designed to improve driver and fleet safety, thereby reducing accidents and fatalities.

To help offset costs associated with driver training, telematics, or other purchases designed to reduce vehicle accidents, PE Partners offers the James L Richardson Driver Safety Grant, available each October. This is a 50/50 matching grant that can be utilized to cover 100% of the costs associated with MVR checks (up to member eligibility amounts).

If you would like a copy of the Motor Vehicle & Driver Safety Loss Control Guideline or have questions about how you can improve your fleet risk management program, please reach out to your regional casualty loss control consultant.