Can GPS Fleet Tracking Help with Driver Road Rage and Aggressive Drivers?
29 Aug 2016
The roadways today can be among the most aggravating places in the world to be. That is true for people who only spend a few minutes a day on the road. Compound that aggravation by endless hours behind the wheel and road rage can quickly become a big problem born of little incidents for truck drivers. But GPS fleet tracking can help reduce instances of road rage and aggressive drivers in several ways, including the following.
Schedule Real-Time Notifications When Drivers Exhibit Aggressive Behaviors
While cars on the road can be annoying and, on some occasions, their drivers downright rude, trucks are much bigger. You don’t need us to explain that they don’t exactly stop on a dime.
Road rage in any vehicle can have lethal consequences. They can be even further reaching in large trucks. GPS fleet tracking allows you to set up email or text notifications when drivers exhibit the following types of behaviors – as a sign of possible road rage or aggressive driving.
- Speeding
- Harsh braking
- Aggressively changing lanes
After receiving these messages, you can choose the appropriate action according to your own business policies for dealing with aggressive driving. Because you are notified as they happen, you can intervene and offer the driver a break or get him or her off the road right away rather than risk waiting until an event has escalated.
Identify Hours of Downtime for the Truck
The number of hours spent behind the wheel can be energy draining and mind numbing. Failing to get enough sleep while spending long hours on the road can turn a slight annoyance from another driver into a full-blown international incident. While monitoring vehicle downtime isn’t a guarantee that drivers are getting enough sleep, it does improve the odds.
Create Daily Safety Reports
These reports may seem like little more than paperwork to drivers. They allow you to search for driving patterns that reflect an aggressive nature or instances of road rage while traveling. Remember, your drivers represent the good name of your business when they’re on the road. The last thing you want is someone getting hurt by one of your drivers if it could have been prevented with proper intervention.
Create an Organizational Culture that Discourages Aggressive Driving and Road Rage
If you create policies, teach classes, and initiate a system of rewards and punishments for safe versus aggressive driving, you will find that your drivers pay attention and take action to drive less aggressively. Create a culture that encourages calm, thoughtful, and well-reasoned expectations of your drivers. You will be surprised by how effective this is.
Accidents happen, far too often, on the roads today. GPS fleet tracking can help you prevent accidents among your drivers in all these ways and more. Don’t forget about simple things like re-routing around traffic jams, avoiding many unnecessary delays, and creating more efficient routes that get them home to their families faster. It’s a win for everyone.
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