Most people would agree that defensive driving is a smart skill to learn. It can keep you and your passengers safe while on the road. But how can your company benefit from defensive driving course training?
For Safety
The most obvious reason is safety. Defensive driving courses can help employees learn how to drive safely, even in difficult situations. When your fleet drivers know how to drive defensively, it can help reduce the risk of accidents.
To Save Money
Fewer accidents mean less downtime for your employees, so you don’t need to worry about lost production time or trying to replace an injured worker.
Think about all the ways a crash can affect your bank account: employee time away from work, legal expenses, medical expenses, insurance administration costs, and, of course, property damage. The NHTSA’s most recent cost analysis data shows that economic costs totaled $242 billion nationally. That’s a hefty price tag. An estimated $96 billion of that figure comes from just two factors: Speeding ($52 billion) and alcohol impairment ($44 billion).
Reducing accidents is not the only benefit of defensive driving courses. Safe driving courses can also help employees learn how to handle stressful driving situations. This can be important, especially if your company has a lot of drivers who are on the road for long periods of time.
To Overcome Stress
Extreme anxiety or being overly worried may make your drivers less aware of the situation around them and can take their minds off the task of driving. Anxiety and emotional states like extreme stress can also manifest themselves in physical ways, like an increased heart rate, faster breathing, or muscle tension. Regardless of how emotion changes people, if they are not mentally present and physically calm while driving, they are adding extra risk to their day, and to your company.
To Manage Road Dangers
Defensive driving courses can also help employees learn how to deal with difficult traffic situations like heavy congestion, road construction, and inclement weather.
Employees must know that speed and following distance are critical for dealing with adverse conditions. A proper speed isn’t just determined solely by speed limit signs, it’s also determined by the road conditions themselves. Employees must learn how to assess the conditions and then choose an appropriate speed.
Safe driving also means knowing when to provide more room between the company vehicle and the car in front. Other drivers may brake abruptly or may lose traction themselves. Your drivers must know how to put themselves in the position to safely react to road dangers without slamming on the brakes.Offering a DriveSafe Online defensive driving course is a great way to establish a safety culture at work. Employees will appreciate the opportunity to learn new skills and stay safe while driving.
Learn more about the benefits of fleet driver training.
Distracted Driving Safety Tips and Defensive Driving Strategies
A defensive driving course encourages drivers to use safe driving tips and strategies when they need them most—on the road.
Distracted Driving Safety Tips
1. Make a conscious effort to avoid any distractions while driving. This means turning off your phone, not eating or drinking, and not talking to passengers.
2. If you need to use your phone, pull over to a safe location and stop your car.
3. Always keep your hands on the wheel and focus on the road ahead.
4. Be aware of your surroundings and the other drivers around you.
5. Keep a safe distance from other cars and use your blinkers to indicate your intentions.
6. If you feel like you are being followed too closely, or if another driver is driving erratically, don’t hesitate to pull over and call 911.
7. If you are involved in a car accident, stay calm and call 911. Do not exit your car until it is safe to do so.
Defensive Driving Strategies
1. Always wear your seatbelt and make sure all passengers are wearing their seatbelts as well.
2. Maintain a safe distance from other cars.
3. Keep an eye out for potential hazards, such as debris in the road, fixed objects, potholes, or animals.
4. Check your travel route before you begin your journey to avoid looking at your GPS constantly.
5. If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, do not hesitate to change lanes or pull over.
Conclusion
All businesses, regardless of size or type, can benefit from defensive driver training. By implementing a road safety program, companies can improve safety for employees and the public, reduce the risk of costly accidents, keep insurance costs down, and improve business efficiency. Defensive driver training should be considered an essential part of any business safety program.
Take a course test drive and see for yourself why DriveSafe Online was named Best Overall Online defensive Driving Course for 2021.
Patrick M. is Editorial Director for the always expanding DriveSafe Online library of courses. With over two decades of experience developing award-winning training, he now focuses on innovating online driver safety training. Pulling from his background in journalism, he steers the wheel behind the creation of top-tier content that promotes a better journey—whether on the digital highway of learning or the real roads we travel every day.