Your fleet of luxury vehicles is getting busy and as it grows you want to ensure operations are as safe as possible. With that in mind, here are the top safety tips for drivers and the company.
Regular Luxury Vehicle Checks
This activity is key to maximum safety. In addition to helping lower risks for your drivers, good maintenance of trucks and luxury vehicles extends their lifespan. For example, regularly inspect tires for proper air pressure and look for signs of uneven wear, which could point to suspension issues or misaligned wheels. If the vehicle has safety features, such as collision preparation systems, get those regularly checked. Fluid checks involve monitoring and topping up fluids like coolant and any specialized fluids that your high-end automobiles require.
Providing Driver Breaks
Any driver can get tired behind the wheel after a certain number of hours, which is why the 70/8 rule exists. If you’re unsure what this rule means, here is the dot 70 hour rule explained and why compliance is so important. Providing breaks is integral to ensuring drivers are alert to respond promptly and correctly to hazards that might happen on the road. Along with endangering their life, driver fatigue puts any passengers at risk and potentially wrecking fleet vehicles.
Safety Focus for Training
While you likely have training sessions with drivers in the fleet, you might not have done a safety-focused one recently. If so, it may be time to do so. A safety training lesson could focus on proper driving habits, reducing distracted driving, and how best to respond to common road hazards. Doing so can lower the risks of crashes, which are very costly, and help protect your drivers. Plus, recognizing and training on safety behind the wheel may improve driver retention.
Establish Accident Reporting Guidelines
Clear reporting guidelines are a must. With that in mind, tell drivers step by step how to respond if they are in an accident, including what to do if repairs are required. Ensure the steps are written down where all drivers have easy access to the information, such as a page on a company website or a physical handbook.
Navigation Systems
Providing luxury vehicle short-term haul, and long-term haul drivers with GPS systems and other navigation tools can make their jobs less stressful and increase efficiency. It also helps from a safety perspective. For example, the large screen of a GPS navigator makes it easier to gain information at a glance than a smaller smartphone, reducing risks as the person behind the wheel takes their eyes off the road for less time. The device also prevents truck drivers from getting lost. There are GPS systems for truck drivers that plan routes for roads approved for semis.
Conclusion: Keeping Safety in Mind for Your Fleet
Fleet vehicles, such as luxury cars, need maintenance for optimal safety, and an electronic navigation system can be helpful, too. Be sure to allot drivers breaks and have guidelines in place should accidents happen. Finally, safety training is always a good idea. With these tips, your fleet can reduce risks.
