One thing you've been perhaps wanting to include in your ongoing fleet management plan is a video safety program. While these become very beneficial in educating and guiding your drivers, not all of these programs are created equal.
Despite video being very convenient for marketing, using it to teach drivers safety means an entirely different strategy. How you present video, how it's accessed, configuration, and technology integration are all things you need to think about.
Take a look at these questions to ask before you implement any video safety policy.
How Quickly Will You Have Access to the Video?
Coordinating when all your drivers watch the video is important so everyone is on the same page. Some video safety programs only have the videos available at certain times. Be sure to ask the company providing the video how fast your drivers can access the video course and whether they can watch them on a mobile device.
With the latter being the most convenient solution with drivers on the go, they'll be able to access the course when they're ready to watch.
The course should include many of the most common dangers in road safety and even ones not so well known. In some cases, this might mean teaching distractions drivers might not think about, and even how to wear a seat belt properly.
Having video on mobile like this ultimately creates more driver engagement with the program than watching it on a desktop.
Can You Configure the Program to Your Safety Policies?
No matter where you get your video safety program, it's probably not going to completely conform to the safety policies you already have in place. Can the video program configure to what your policies are without creating conflict?
If you have to stick with a particular training format, it might not work for all your drivers. Many of them may have different ways of learning that require you to tweak things to suit their style. Those more into visual learning are going to appreciate video, though it may require adding specific information to adhere to the safety policy you've created.
Always select a video program allowing you to configure things, particularly in your drivers learning how to improve their CSA (compliance, safety, and accountability) score.
Can You Integrate the Video Program With Other Technologies?
You obviously want to know if you can integrate the video safety program with mobile devices. When using video technology in your fleet trucks for driver safety use, you'll want to know how well they integrate with other technologies.
According to Truckinginfo, only 6% of all truck fleets have fully integrated video cameras and recording systems. It shows the benefits are still being investigated on how video recording helps with driver safety.
You'll want to know if the video technology can easily integrate with the tech in your trucks like GPS, or operating systems. Always ask if the video equipment has open, extensible architecture so you don't need a complete overhaul of your fleet vehicles.
Can You Use a Dash Cam System?
A lot of fleet vehicles now use dash cam systems as part of video safety programs. These work well on a legal basis since you'll be able to record video of potential accidents and driver behavior.
For burden of proof in a serious accident, it's imperative. Plus, it brings more responsible driving since video is going to find out who really was at fault. When you want to check in on whether your drivers are really adhering to your safety policies, video through a dash cam system reveals a lot of details.
Contact us at Wilmar, Inc. so we can help you with your fleet management challenges. We'll help you set up a video safety program for training and for observation.
