“Collision” and “accident” sound like interchangeable terms; however, there is a significant difference in meaning when it comes to commercial driving safety and legal liability. To better understand the nuances at play here, let’s start with some definitions. Simply stated, “accident” denotes a non-preventable incident for which the driver has no responsibility. “Collision” refers to an incident that the driver could have prevented by taking reasonable action. The next question then becomes, what is a “reasonable action”?
One way to look at this is to ask, what would the majority of people define as reasonable? (And, for legal purposes, one might ask, what would a jury define as being reasonable?) For example, if a vehicle moves into your lane, would it be reasonable for you to drive onto the shoulder of the road to avoid a collision? Assuming there was ample space, and that there were no people or vehicles on the shoulder of the road, most people would probably say that taking such an action would be reasonable.
But what if there were people walking on the shoulder of the road? Most people would say that, under those conditions, it would not be reasonable to pull onto the shoulder of the road to avoid a collision. We all want our employees to be safety-conscious drivers. That is, we want them to have a goal of doing everything reasonable to avoid a collision, regardless of who is at fault. To do this, drivers must be able to:
- Recognize the hazard,
- Understand the defense, and
- Act correctly and in time.
The keys to being a safety-conscious driver are:
- Driving training,
- Driver attitude and behavior,
- Proper trip/route scheduling,
- Remaining alert behind the wheel, and
- Reacting properly to hazardous situations.
While truck driver training programs and experience are important, the best training and the most valuable experience can be negated by attitude. How the driver feels and what the driver thinks about while driving are of primary importance. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, attitude accounts for 60 percent of a driver’s contributions to highway safety. And by “attitude”, we mean, is the driver safety-conscious? Is the driver attuned to recognizing hazards and acting correctly in time?
Drivers of commercial vehicles—be they large trucks or cargo vans—are often responsible for vehicles that are large, heavy, and costly. In addition to their cargos, they carry something that is also of great value: the company’s brand. Wherever it is, that vehicle is a representation of the company that owns it and of the employee who drives it. That’s why being courteous, in addition to being safe, is a great attribute for a commercial driver.
How to do you get your drivers to be safety-conscious? Driver training, safe driver award programs, vehicle monitoring programs, and employee hotlines are all important components in an overall safety strategy. Fleet operators seeking to reduce collisions and safety violations, as well as improve their driver safety, on-line training systems, and vehicle monitoring programs can reach out to the experts at DriverCheck. Call 770-916-6721 to learn how to make your fleet safer and more productive.
