Don't Ignore Employee Driving Safety (Your Company's Reputation is at Stake)

He said, “Chris, of course, we take safety seriously. You’ve been handling our special driver safety training for all our drivers almost every year.”

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This was part of a conversation I was having with a friend and colleague the other day about safety and employees who drive as part of their duties.

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To give you some background information, my client operates its own fleet of trailer delivery vehicles, which operates not only in Ghana but also in other West African countries.

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As he rightly stated, we've been providing safety training and materials for their fleet operations for a while now, but I wanted to touch on the other "non-professional" drivers, i.e., other employees within his company who drive many kilometers every year as part of their job.

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I asked him if he also cared about their safety.

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He said, "C'mon, Chris, what kind of question is that? Of course, we do.”

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And I believe in giving credit where it’s due. So, I'll give it to his company; they're actually one of the best in terms of customer service, employee morale, and relationships.

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However, when it came to non-professional drivers who also operate company vehicles as part of their daily duties, absolutely nothing was done.

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Even the simple things such as:

• Verifying an employee's driver's license.
• Annual checks of driving records.

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In their defense, most companies don’t do anything close to this.

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So technically they’re not alone.

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Many employers often overlook the fact that sending their employees in a company vehicle, particularly when they are driving, could be interpreted as part of their job duties.

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While I agree that driving is not their primary role, they are required to drive company vehicles as part of their daily tasks. So just because they have a driver’s license doesn’t necessarily mean that they are prepared to safely execute this part of their duty.

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Beyond the Driver’s License

You may ask, “But the fact that they have a drivers license means they’re qualified to drive, right?”

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Well, yes and no.

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Generally, you must pass a knowledge test and then a driving test to obtain a license.

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Let's assume that Sarah, an employee, is 40 years old and took her driving test at the age of 19. This implies that unless she engages in a corporate driving safety program or has numerous traffic violations on her record, her driving abilities may remain unreviewed for 21 years.

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Another cause for concern could be the type of vehicle in which the road test was conducted, as well as the environment.

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Let’s think of it this way...

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In 21 years, I believe there must have been many changes. There have been alterations in the layout of roads, an increase in the quantity of vehicles on the road, and instances of aggressive driving.

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Now, if we consider that she got her driver's license driving the old Volkswagen Beetle, it means she is eligible to drive any size vehicle in that license class, period. Which will include saloon cars, pickups, Minivans, and small to large SUVs.

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Now let’s talk about the environment…

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Let’s assume she took her road test in an interior part of Koforidua, Ghana, in a small car like the Volkswagen Beetle. Fast-forward to now, and she is driving a Toyota Hilux or Toyota Prado in the hustle and bustling streets of today's Accra.

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What makes us think Sarah is ready for the challenge?

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However, if she fails to measure up and has an incident or accident, her supervisor may blame her for not taking enough care or being defensive enough!

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Due Diligence and Prevention

Consider this: Most occupational health risk duties necessitate training, and if they expose employees to high risk, they typically require refresher training or recertification.

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When it comes to first aid, we require refresher courses, regular training, and qualification.

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But driving doesn't, and that’s a serious cause for concern.

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It was truly an interesting conversation when I told him that at the minimum, due diligence would be to at least take a look at the employee’s driving record and make provision for some remedial action if an unbearable number of infractions was exceeded.?

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Another option would be to send out surveys to see the effect of driving and long commutes on employee’s health and wellness (assuming you have an employee health and wellness program).

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However, I will say this though: some companies already allow some employees to work hybrid (sometimes on-site and sometimes remote). So, at least in some cases, something is being done about it.

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My client said to me, "Chris, when our employees drive the company cars, sometimes it's while on the job, and sometimes it's for personal reasons. So, how can we differentiate between infractions that occur on the job and those that occur off the job?”

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My response was, “Do you require responsible and legal behavior ON or OFF the job?”

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He said, “Absolutely!”

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The reality is that in today's world, many people lose their jobs for comments on social media that don't align with the company's values, especially when such conduct brings negative publicity to the company.

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This implies that driving offenses outside of work hold equal significance and there should be no differentiations.

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My question to him was, "If your employee was convicted of armed robbery while on vacation in Paris, would you still keep him employed knowing fully well it happened off the job?"

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He said, "Hmm, point well noted."

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As a business, you can demonstrate due diligence and enhance employee safety by taking a few simple steps.

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1. Identify potential hazards in the workplace and evaluate their severity.
2. Develop clear guidelines for safe work practices, emergency procedures, and reporting incidents.
3. Ensure that employees receive sufficient training on safety procedures, hazard identification, and equipment usage.
4. It is recommended to check the driving records of employees who must drive prior to hiring and on a regular basis after that, ideally once a year.
5. Upon hiring, evaluate employees' driving skills in the vehicle they will use for work and in the same environment to establish a baseline, determine if training is necessary, and provide it if necessary.
6. Provide regular refresher and/or upgrade training, as well as specialty training where appropriate.

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Ready to Take Action?

Would you like to be one of those great companies that prioritizes safe driving for all drivers?

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If your answer is "yes," then contact us immediately to begin reducing the risk your other employees face while driving.

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Now, if you get any value from this, I need you to help us spread this message. Share it with friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn so they benefit from it too. You could also forward it to someone you love or hate via email (hopefully you’re not the type that hates people). You can also leave us a comment below and let us know if you hold special driver trainings for all employees or any other car-related topics you want us to cover next.

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That’s all for now.

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Catch you next Tuesday.

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