There is an enormous difference between driving in the summer months when the roads are clear, and your stopping distance is short, and driving in the winter when the weather conditions can cause more of a hazard and lead to an increase in accidents. Here is a guide to helping your fleet drivers prepare for winter driving.
Training
You should remember that not all drivers are going to be brilliant at winter driving. It will depend on how long they have been driving for, what weather conditions they are used to, and how often they are expected to drive out of state or cross country where the weather can change significantly en route. Training them to drive in different weather conditions and putting a fleet winter driving plan in place will help them to avoid accidents and know what to look out for.
Maintenance
Vehicles need more maintenance in the winter months, and it is important to keep on top of this if you want your drivers to be safe. Things such as brake fluid and screen wash should be filled up regularly to avoid accidents. Depending on what part of the country they are driving in you may want to consider having your fleet vehicles fitted with winter tires and snow chains to make driving easier in hazardous conditions.
Scheduling
In poor weather conditions, it is likely to take your drivers longer to reach their destination and you need to bear this in mind while scheduling their route. They will have less visibility in snow or foggy conditions and driving too fast when they are unable to see clearly could cause an accident. Schedule enough time for the weather conditions they are likely to encounter and make sure they take regular breaks if you want them to stay safe.
Flexibility
The weather can change suddenly in the winter, especially if your drivers are covering long distances. A sudden snowstorm or a quick change from a clear road to black ice can present an extreme hazard which may make it unsafe for your driver to continue. Allow flexibility in your work planning if you can so that if a driver needs to make an unexpected stop until they have better visibility, they have the opportunity to do this rather than having to carry on regardless and risk an accident.
Technology
Adverse weather conditions cause the majority of accidents in the wintertime so don’t assume that every accident is down to driver error. Fit your fleet with dashcams so that you can clearly see why an accident has happened. This is useful if you are going to make an insurance claim or if another driver wants to make a claim against your fleet driver. Of course, these issues can occur in both summer and winter months so a dashcam is a worthwhile investment all year round.
Winter accidents can be avoided with proper planning. Get your fleet and drivers ready for winter by following this guide.
