If you are wondering why organizations should care about driving safety in the first place, the answer lies with the 1.3 million deaths each year due to road traffic incidents, as reported by WHO.

Do you know that the United Nations General Assembly has set an ambitious target of bringing down, by 50%, the global number of deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes by 2030? 

• Road traffic crashes kill approximately 1.3 million people each year between the ages of 5-29, and leave 20 to 50 million people with non-fatal injuries
• Pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcycle riders make up more than half of all road traffic deaths.
• Despite having approximately 60% of the world's vehicles, 93% of the world's road fatalities occur in low- and middle-income countries.
• Most countries lose 3% of their gross domestic product due to road traffic crashes. 
• It is mainly young males who die in 73% of the cases.

Large enterprises with fleets of drivers must ensure a zero-harm environment as part of their corporate social responsibility. Creating standardized driving policies and procedures is crucial to an organization’s fleet management operations.

An occupational driver safety software can maintain the relevant safety checklists covering all driving and road safety aspects, including the driver, vehicle, environment, route, policies, and incidents. 

Let’s discuss a 10-point driving safety checklist that can be maintained by a road safety solution, benefiting drivers and ensuring their safety. 

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10 Road Safety & Driver Safety Checklist Points

A safe workplace is a sound business. Organizations should follow the recommended practices to ensure drivers’ health and safety. As a result, companies can improve compliance with safety protocols, reduce operational costs, enhance driver productivity, and prevent driver injuries or fatalities. 

Below mentioned road safety checklist covers major aspects of occupational vehicle driving. 

1. Personal protective equipment (PPE) & emergency equipment: Ensure that the drivers either wear PPE or have it in their vehicle. Typically, PPE includes gloves, a vest, and a helmet. Moreover, drivers must have emergency equipment such as cables, flares, flashlights, traffic cones, and first-aid kits to ensure road safety.

2. Vehicle inspection and maintenance: The company and the driver should conduct regular vehicle inspections to check its road worthiness. The vehicle should be insured, and the vehicle’s registration should be up to date. Moreover, the driver must check the vehicle fuel, engine oil, coolant, battery, brake fluid, brakes, tires, and lights for proper functioning before departing for the journey.

3. Weather conditions: Under extreme weather conditions such as rainy or monsoon seasons, drivers should be extra cautious and follow the recommended guidelines, such as driving at a slow speed, keeping distance from vehicles in front, avoiding sudden breaks, and keeping the windows closed to prevent any incidents.

4. Driver’s health and behavior: At all times, the drivers must be focused on their driving–eyes on the road. They should not be impaired or distracted due to fatigue or other tasks. They must wear seatbelts or helmets at all times. They should be well-versed in defensive driving techniques.

5. Remote monitoring of the route and vehicle: The managers must be able to monitor the whole route and have clear operational visibility. This can be achieved with GPS tracking, along with some specialized hardware and software.

6. Observe the law: At all times, the driver must obey traffic laws like speed limits, traffic signs, and signals. Traffic laws may vary for different vehicle types. So the drivers should be well-versed in all traffic regulations.

7. Secure the cargo: If the vehicle is carrying cargo, it must be secured to avoid irregular movement. If the shipment is hazardous, the company must have specific loading, unloading, and transportation protocols in place to avoid mishaps.

8. Post incident protocols: In case of any incidents, the organization must have protocols in place to provide immediate relief to the affected driver.

9. Improving driver behavior: Ensure that the driver has access to road safety records to observe previous incidents and driving patterns. Based on the data, the road safety system should recommend areas of improvement.

10. Improve existing protocols: Road safety is dynamic because the situation on the road is fluid. Despite all the safety measures, accidents can occur. This is why the organization must evaluate its existing road safety solution to identify any loopholes and resolve them accordingly.

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Ensure Zero Harm Workplace With Modern Driving Safety App

Organizations must ensure that drivers comply with road safety or driving safety protocols. It is a two-way process. On the one hand, the company must build an enterprise-grade driver safety solution to give the drivers all the necessary tools. On the other hand, the driver must follow guidelines and remain more cautious while on the road.

SafetyConnect offers a robust driver safety and road safety app that performs the following operations:

• Monitor driving behavior of employees
• Report incidents and near-miss events
• Maintain safety protocols checklist
• Broadcast real-time fleet-wide safety notifications
• Monitor driving operations

As a result, our enterprise clients have seen a major reduction of around 70% in the number of major accidents and the man-hours lost. 

See it for yourself. Try out SafetyConnect’s driver safety software to secure your fleet. 

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