Causes of Aggressive Fleet Driver Driving and What to Do About It
6 Nov 2018
Aggressive driving is not the same thing as road rage. But, it can lead to problems of its own if allowed to continue unchecked. Among some of the more immediate problems for fleets are the following:
- Damaging your organizational reputation.
- Increasing traffic violations.
- Heightened risk of accidents.
- Higher insurance premiums.
Those costs can add up quickly meaning this is a problem you need to deal with promptly.
What is Aggressive Driving?
Before you learn about what causes it, you need to understand what aggressive driving is and how it can affect your fleet. Aggressive driving includes a series of behaviors, such as:
- Hard braking
- Hard accelerations
- Speeding
- Aggressive lane changes
- Swerving
- Weaving in and out of traffic
- Displaying anger at other vehicles on the road
How big is the problem? According to the Insurance Information Institute, aggressive driving played a role in 56 percent of all traffic fatalities between 2003 and 2007.
What Causes Aggressive Driving?
There are a few factors that contribute to a driver’s tendencies to drive more aggressively. According to the Association for Psychological Science, the cover of darkness that driving at night or deeply tinted windows offers contributes to aggressive driving. The notion that the driver cannot be identified made them more aggressive.
Long commutes in rush-hour traffic also contribute to aggressive driving behaviors, including greater hostility, taking more risks, and becoming faster to anger, according to the American Psychological Association.
How Can You Address an Aggressive Driving Problem in Your Fleet?
These are a few things you can do to address the problem of aggressive driving by your fleet drivers.
- Mark vehicles clearly with identifying numbers where aggressive driving can be reported.
- Reduce the number of nighttime hours your fleet drivers are on the road.
- Install GPS flleet tracking in all fleet vehicles that report aggressive behaviors like speeding, weaving, and hard braking.
- Create policies, with escalating consequences, for drives who exhibit aggressive behaviors behind the wheel.
- Offer rewards for save, non-aggressive driver behavior and make it a challenge between drivers to get the best safety records.
It’s in the best interest of all fleet owners and managers to monitor driving behavior, encourage responsible driving, and reward safe driving to prevent the negative effects of aggressive driving to put your drivers, other people on the road, and the reputation of your business at risk.
Install GPS fleet tracking today and see just how quickly it can help you get a handle on your aggressive drivers. Contact us here at LiveViewGPS to learn more. 1-888-544-0494
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