If you’ve got employees who are driving as part of their day-to-day duties, the greatest likelihood is that they’ve been driving for a while now. However, the further removed your drivers are from driving school, the more they’ve probably forgotten about the actual rules of the road.
Here’s a short refresher course for your driving employees to absorb.
Collisions
Did you know that most collisions happen at intersections? It’s true: an estimated 33% to 66% of all crashes occur at intersections. They’re a menace! Here are a few safety tips for employees to prevent collisions:
- Head-on: Drivers need to be alert at all times and keep an eye far down the road for potential problems, like an oncoming driver passing another vehicle.
- Rear-end: To avoid being rear-ended, you should use your signals liberally, make sure you’re slowing down gradually, and always check your mirrors for potential tailgaters. To avoid rear-ending another vehicle, you should have between 2 and 4 seconds of reaction time between you and the vehicle ahead, and keep an eye out for brake lights and turn signals.
Passing
If we’re honest, most drivers pass even when they see the tiniest sliver of space on either side of another vehicle. In reality, you should keep these rules in mind:
- Only pass in a passing zone
- Check oncoming traffic first
- Check your mirrors to make sure someone behind you isn’t attempting to pass
- Never pass unless you know you have plenty of room
- When another car is passing, you should slow down if the other vehicle needs extra room to pass safely
Road Conditions
Most people think of road conditions as they relate to snow and ice, but there are all sorts of road hazards that have nothing to do with winter, including road work, rain, animals, and myriad others. In all situations regarding road conditions, keep the following in mind:
- Slow down
- Avoid tailgating
- Be ready to stop
- Turn on your headlights to be more visible
- Avoid distractions and focus all your attention on driving
- Keep calm in heavy traffic
- Know how to handle a skid (take your foot off the brake and turn in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go)
There’s plenty to think of and remember while behind the wheel, but if your drivers take it slow and easy, they’ll get where they’re going safe and sound.