A SIGNIFICANT percentage of vehicles on the roads are owned and run by businesses, from couriers delivering parcels to taxi drivers transporting people.
This is as well as hundreds of thousands of cars being driven by business drivers.
The chances are that if you run a company you have at least one vehicle. So, it is important to do your best to keep your drivers safe and on the road. This short guide explains some of the ways you can do that.
Don’t be afraid to hire a car accident lawyer
Accidents happen, they are a fact of life. When they do, it is wise to do thorough research (see kryderlaw.com) as efficiently as possible.
The longer you leave it, the more details you will forget and the accuracy of any claim you may want to make could be weakened. Whilst you might not feel like dealing with the legalities straight away, it is better to get it sorted whilst everything is fresh in your mind.
A car accident lawyer that has experience of dealing with commercial vehicle or business car accidents, and other issues, can potentially save you a lot of hassle and money.
They will know how to keep you and your drivers out of the courts. Plus, make sure that you get the right level of compensation should damage or injuries occur as a result of an accident.
They can also give you information about how to handle other business motoring matters.
For example, if one of your reps, who has a lot of penalty points, has been caught speeding, they could potentially lose their license. This would be very disruptive for your business, especially if they were very good at their job.
You could lose out on a lot of work. Lawyers who have the relevant experience can show you how to improve the chances of your rep being sent on a course instead of automatically losing their licence.
Train and reward your drivers for driving safe
It is well worth providing additional training for your drivers. Most of the time, you will soon cover the cost of doing so. Perhaps putting your drivers through advanced driving tests could have many advantages.
You could also consider rewarding those drivers that do not have any accidents or get caught committing traffic offences. If you do decide to do this, remember to factor in how many miles each person has covered, during the year.
This will help to make your scheme fairer and encourage everyone to fully participate.
Improve your vehicle maintenance regime
The vast majority of accidents are caused by driver error. But mechanical failure still plays a role. So, every year, review the way you are maintaining your company vehicles and enhance your processes if necessary.
Don’t set impossible targets for your drivers
There is no point in telling everyone to drive safely if you then set impossible targets for them. If someone thinks they may lose their job if they do not make up the time they have spent in a traffic jam, they will be far more likely to take risks. They will drive faster and make more mistakes.
