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Three Tips for Using Telematics to Keep Drivers Safe This Winter

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Speeding. Harsh stops. Rapid acceleration. Cornering. Fleet managers are likely familiar with these buzzwords related to driver behavior, but what is the real impact of not fixing the way employees operate company vehicles?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driver error causes 94% of all vehicle collisions. Along with the physical and psychological consequences that accidents cause all parties, they can also have far-reaching financial liabilities for businesses if company drivers are found to be the negligent party.

Driving in winter weather amplifies these risks, and without the proper precautions, a company’s drivers may cause a fatal accident on icy or snow-covered roads if they speed when running late, make harsh stops when distracted, or rapidly accelerate in traffic.

We know the basic rules of thumb for driving in winter weather: Slow down, leave extra distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you, turn the wheel into a skid. But for employees who drive company vehicles, there is an added layer to safer driving in winter weather: telematics. Telematics are devices that gather and send data from the vehicle to fleet operators, providing insight into drivers’ actions and their safety, and other information like the conditions of the vehicles and roads.

Here are three tips for using telematics to keep drivers safe during winter weather:

  1. Closely monitor driver speed

Usually, companies set real-time speeding alerts with some room for driver error. Leaving this room for drivers includes setting posted speed alerts that do not trigger unless the driver is traveling at least 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit, or setting high speeding thresholds in general where the alert only hits if the driver is going above 80 miles per hour.

A best practice during winter months is to set these thresholds much lower and become more stringent on violations. For example, setting the posted speed limit violation threshold to 2 miles per hour over the posted speed of the road can ensure that drivers are staying close to the limit and taking their time getting to their next stop.

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  1. Stay alert on maintenance demands

Telematics solutions can monitor for various vehicle maintenance needs, such as oil life and tire pressure, in real time and notify the fleet manager when maintenance is needed.

Batteries die faster in cold weather, especially when they sit for extended periods. By using a telematics solution, fleet managers can receive alerts when batteries drop below a specific voltage. Setting this alert serves as a reminder to start the vehicle or investigate to prevent a dead battery.

This knowledge can save a fleet thousands of dollars in unnecessary maintenance costs and improve safety for drivers by reducing the number of faulty vehicles.

  1. Proactively coach drivers to navigate tough road conditions

Speeding, rapid acceleration and harsh braking should always be avoided, but these actions are particularly dangerous in winter weather environments. By harnessing GPS telematics and predictive analytics, fleet managers can catch patterns of unsafe driving behavior before it results in a serious accident. Rather than rely on general training for all drivers, fleet managers can provide one-on-one evaluations that focus on each driver’s pain points using real-time alerts, reactive reports and driver scorecards.

Enforcing a business safety culture backed by actionable telematics data can ultimately help companies ensure the safety of their employees and the public in real time. No business wants its drivers to be put in harm’s way on the road, but safety also makes good business sense.

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Company vehicles are driving billboards, and along with the potential to put the public in harm’s way, it will ultimately hurt the bottom line if the brand is associated with accidents, fatalities and poor driving habits.

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Limit Organizational Exposure During the Polar Vortex

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A polar vortex has gripped large areas of the Northern United States, and all-time lows are being approached in parts of Midwest states like Iowa and Illinois. This frigid weather phenomenon is defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) as a large area of low pressure and cold air that normally surrounds the North and South poles. But during unstable conditions, the Arctic air can expand and drift southward to North America.

The extreme cold has led to several injuries and six deaths, including an auto accident that killed a couple, a man who likely froze to death in his Milwaukee garage and another man struck by a snow plow in the Chicago area.

The weather system has also forced the closure of schools, businesses, flights and even the United States Postal Service in some areas, and warnings are in effect for workers to stay home and keep off the roads.

Driving Tips

Some people must get out and drive, however, and so whether making deliveries, heading to or from work, or running necessary errands, drivers and asked to use heightened caution.

At this time last year when preparing for the “weather bomb,” AAA recommended precautions that can be applied during a polar vortex, including this basic tip: Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the gas slowly when accelerating is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids, AAA said, cautioning that it takes time to slow down for a stoplight as it takes longer to slow down on icy roads.

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Building Tips

Looking inside your organization’s physical foundation is also critical to its resilience. In addition to clearing snow from driveways and de-icing entrances, organizations should be cognizant of how such brutally low temperatures can impact their workplaces. Interstate Restoration offers tips on how to address a building’s infrastructure during winter weather.

For example, if your pipes are found to be frozen, Interstate Restoration offers suggestions to reduce the likelihood of a burst:

  1. Turn off water to the building at the main water shutoff valve
  2. Inspect the pipe closely for cracks and note any that you find
  3. If you find cracks, call a plumber for advice before doing anything else
  4. If there is no damage present, add a space heater to the area or use a hair dryer to gradually warm the pipe. If the outside temperature is expected to rise, you can also wait for the pipe to thaw on its own before turning the water back on. PROCEED WITH CAUTION: Never use any type of open flame or torch to thaw pipes.

Outdoor Working Tips

The Department of Labor recommends that employees working in frigid temperatures avoid alcohol, smoking and some medications to help minimize risks.

As previously reported, the best way to avoid cold stress is by wearing proper clothing.

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The type of fabric makes a difference as well. For example, cotton loses its insulation value when it becomes wet, while wool, silk and most synthetics retain their insulation even when wet.

Here are some clothing tips for workers in cold environments:

  • For better insulation wear at least three layers of clothing: An inner layer of wool, silk or synthetic to wick moisture away from the body; a middle layer of wool or synthetic to provide insulation even when wet; and an outer wind and rain protection layer that allows some ventilation to prevent overheating.  Avoid tight fitting clothing.
  • Wear a hat or hood to help keep the entire body warm. Hats reduce the amount of body heat that escapes from the head.
  • Wear insulated boots or other appropriate footwear.
  • Keep extra clothing (including underwear) handy in case clothing gets wet.
  • Do not underestimate the wetting effects of perspiration. Venting of the body’s sweat and heat can be more important than protection from rain or snow, according to the DOL.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also issues guidelines, suggesting that heavy work be scheduled for the warmer part of the day, and to assign employees to work in pairs to lessen the risk of cold stress.

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Eyes on the Road, Hands on the Wheel – Organizations Focused on Distracted Driving

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It is probably not shocking to learn that distracted driving is fast becoming a huge problem.

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The introduction of the smartphone, that clever device that allows you to text, email, speak with a friend and, ugh, take a video of yourself hopping out of your car and dancing while it’s in drive, is right at the center of the blame.

For parents, the thought of their newly licensed teenager taking the family sedan out – with their phone in hand – can be frightening.

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And, it should be. According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia distraction was a key factor in 58% of crashes involving drivers ages 16 to 19.

But, distracted driving is not something that only parents should worry about. “When it comes to preventing distracted driving, people often worry about their teenage drivers — but what about conversations happening at the office or while people are on the job?” said Jordan Solway, Group General Counsel and Vice President of Claim, Travelers Canada.

Travelers’ public policy arm, The Travelers’ Institute, recently commissioned a poll that highlighted the importance for businesses to identify the risks of distracted driving with their employees. The poll found that 37% of Canadian drivers answer or make communications while driving. Of these drivers, 14% cited “wanting to always be available for work.” as a key reason for their distractions behind the wheel.

But, always being connected can create risks. “When you’re involved in a conference call, you’re paying less attention to your surroundings,” Solway said. “Driving is a complex function that requires visual (eyes on the road), physical (hands on the wheel) and cognitive processing. Taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds actually doubles your chances of an accident.”

Countless organizations, public agencies, universities and other businesses employ the use of fleets, while other organizations rely on their employees to drive from location to location in their own vehicles as part of the course and scope of their responsibilities.

“In Ontario, similar to other provinces, it really does not matter if the vehicle is owned by the employee or the organization, if there is an accident caused by distracted driving and the driver was in the course and scope of his or her employment, the organization can be held liable,” Solway said. “This isn’t something just big businesses need to worry about.  In fact, the opposite. A distracted driving judgment against a smaller, neighborhood business has the potential to have significant financial consequences.”

The 2012  $21 million jury award against Coca-Cola for a distracted employee who was driving was a wakeup call to all organizations that:

1) companies can be held liable for their employees who operate vehicles while distracted,
and
2) organizations can even be considered negligent if they do not have a distracted driving policy or if their policy is inadequate.

There is a great opportunity for risk professionals to step in and develop policies procedures that address distracted drivers and mitigate the consequences of their actions to their organizations.

“Fundamentally, every business should have a [distracted driving] policy. There should be training on the policy. And, not only should the policy require compliance with the applicable law, but also, it should have clear direction on how and when mobile devices should be used in a vehicle,” Solway said.

Travelers Canada recommends four key steps to making a distracted driving policy more effective:

Training and continuing education are great but it shouldn’t stop there. “The organization has to enforce progressive disciplinary action against those violating the policy,” he said.

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“They must be warned and dealt to further demonstrate that the organization is serious when it comes to distracted driving.”

Technology will be a key solution to combatting distracted driving. Most new vehicles are equipped with hands-free technology, cellular devices now feature a Do Not Disturb Function and some organizations have installed video recording devices in vehicle cockpits – all great options for promoting safer driving habits.

“In the not so distant future sensors, collision warnings, smarter-cars and autonomous vehicle operating systems could help keep drivers’ eyes on the road, hands on the wheel and minds focused on safe driving,” Solway said.

Frigid Weather Heightens Ice Hazards

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Freezing weather now sweeping across much of the U.S. brings a greater risk of ice storms and underlines the need for careful planning and heightened safety measures.

In fact, it does not take much ice to create disaster conditions.

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Even a thin coat of ice can create dangerous conditions on roads. Add strong winds and you have a recipe for downed trees and power lines, bringing outages that can last for days.

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According to The Weather Channel:

The Weather Channel also categorizes ice storms as nuisance, disruptive or crippling. A nuisance event is usually one of less than a 1/4 inch of ice. While these lighter accumulations are considered a nuisance, travel can still be extremely dangerous. A disruptive ice storm typically has 1/4 to 1/2 inch of ice accumulation, with ice starting to damage trees and power lines. Crippling ice storms, which have widespread accumulations of more than 1/2 inch, can cause severe tree damage resulting in power outages. The most devastating storms contain ice accumulation of an inch or more.

A special hazard to drivers is black ice, caused when moisture in the air freezes when it comes in contact with a much colder roadway, or when a sudden drop in temperature causes an already wet roadway to quickly freeze.

Fleet group ARI cautions against driving on black ice, which it said is most commonly found on overpasses and on roads that wind around bodies of water such as lakes and rivers.

ARI offers these tips for drivers:

  1. Drive slowly – The best way to avoid skidding out of control is to operate your vehicle at a slower speed. A slower speed will even give you more time to react to the effects of black ice
  2. Don’t slam the brakes – While it may be a natural instinct to slam on your brakes, this will only cause your car to lose control and slide even more. Tap the brake pedal lightly instead of pushing down hard on it.
  3. Maintain a safe following distance – In situations like this, you need to extend you following distance to ensure you will have ample time to react to the motorist ahead especially if they begin to lose control.
  4. Look for trouble spots ahead – If you have an idea that there may be black ice ahead (if you see cars ahead of you sliding, for example), downshift to a lower gear before you come onto the black ice. The lower gear will force you to drive more slowly and it will give you better control of your car.
  5. As soon as your car begins to slide on black ice, take your foot off the gas pedal – In fact, the last thing you want to do is give your vehicle more gas. It is very important to slow down when you are driving on black ice or in any other winter road conditions.