FLEET SAFETY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

FLEET SAFETY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

BY BILL BURKE, PARTNER | MRG CONSTRUCTION RISK MANAGEMENT

Transportation analytics firm INRIX recently conducted a study and found that Philadelphia ranks fourth on the list of cities with the most congestion based on hours spent in traffic per year. In 2022, Philadelphians spent 114 hours sitting in traffic. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports approximately 150,000 injuries on construction sites each year, these statistics do not include vehicle accidents off-site, even if involving construction vehicles. Vehicle accidents are, in fact, a leading cause of death or serious injury in the construction industry. The three most common causes of vehicle accidents are speeding, driving while impaired, and distracted driving.

Speeding is dangerous because it leads to increased stopping distance. At 65 MPH on dry pavement, a standard vehicle will need over 340 feet to come to a complete stop – the length of a football field! Today, we can also provide more accurate estimated times for travel: Most people use navigation systems that will give drivers an estimated time of arrival and some will even take into account traffic along the route. Rarely will a driver beat this ETA by a significant amount of time, even with speeding. At 60 MPH you travel one mile in one minute and at 70 MPH you will travel one mile in 51 seconds. Especially in the city, however, factors such as traffic, stop lights and signs, and road conditions make speeding less likely to help get you to your destination significantly faster.

Driving while impaired has been one of the leading causes of vehicle crashes for many years and since the pandemic, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry reports an increase in the number of workers reporting to work intoxicated or even using alcohol and using drugs while on duty. Most companies have implemented drug and alcohol policies to help prevent this and some even offer employee assistance programs to help workers. For more information on substance abuse programs, contractors can visit the PA Drug Free Workplace or Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration websites.

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Many people are unaware of the danger, or have a more relaxed attitude towards distracted driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that distracted driving, especially while texting, is six times more dangerous than impaired driving. They also report that composing a text slows a driver’s reaction time by 35%, while drinking alcohol up to the legal limit slows reactions by 12%. Reading, sending, or responding to a text can take your eyes off the road or your hands off the wheel (if you’re not using voice-activated dictation) for about five seconds. At 60 MPH, you will travel over 300 feet and not be fully dedicated to the task of safe driving.

While many vehicles have Bluetooth capabilities, the primary distraction is the actual conversation itself. Studies on inattentive blindness, such as “Failures of Awareness: The Case of Inattentional Blindness” by Dr. Daniel Simons, Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois, show how individuals can fail to see something that is unexpected in plain sight due to a lack of attention. Since the pandemic, workers saw an increase in virtual meetings, and many individual are taking these meetings while driving. This diversion from paying attention to the road is dangerous and ideally, companies should prohibit this behavior.

Contractors can prevent these unsafe behaviors by implementing programs and technologies that encourage safer driving habits while on the job.

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CREATE A FLEET SAFETY PROGRAM

All contractors should have a written fleet safety program that is communicated to all drivers. An effective written fleet safety program that includes basic rules, driver selection, drug and alcohol testing, driver training, road tests, motor vehicle record checks completed annually and time of hire at a minimum, distracted driving, disciplinary procedures, and vehicle maintenance.

This policy should also include motor vehicle record checks (MVR). At a minimum, the MVR should be run annually and at time of hire. Contractors should look back at least 3 years and assign a value to each moving violation based on severity. Certain violations such as DUI, excessive speeding, at fault accidents and fleeing the scene of accident should automatically exclude the driver from operating a company vehicle.

FLEET DRIVER EDUCATION

Driver training should be incorporated into every fleet safety program. Educate drivers on the dangers of speeding and driving while distracted, as well as defensive driving principles. All drivers should receive defensive driving training at time of hire and take at least an annual refresher training. There are many online and in-person courses available.

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TOOLS FOR YOUR FLEET: TELEMATICS AND DASH CAMERA SYSTEMS

Telematics are GPS based systems that include onboard diagnostics that track the vehicle’s location, speed and harsh events. They are typically managed by third party vendors that will send data directly to the client. This data will alert management in real time when a driver is speeding or is involved in a harsh event. As a result, companies can use this information to identify at risk drivers for retraining or disciplinary action. It is imperative that contractors address unsafe driving behaviors.

Dash cameras, front and/or rear facing, are designed to record when the vehicle is on. In the event of a crash, this video footage can be extremely valuable evidence to insurance adjusters when determining which driver was at fault. Footage can also be used to dispute claims where a driver deliberately backs into the car behind them and claims to have been rear-ended. These incidents are on the rise, so this footage can prove invaluable to contractors.

Most construction contractors and companies understand the need for jobsite safety procedures to prevent workplace injuries, but what about getting to and from the job sites? An effective written fleet program along with strong substance abuse programs, driver training and technology can help mitigate the risk.