For many, the holidays mean time off work to relax with family and friends. For fleet drivers, it can mean longer shifts, weather delays and navigating the increase in busy traffic.
Countless statistics show winter is a dangerous time of year for drivers:
- December has the highest incident rate among winter months
- 70% of winter fatalities happen in vehicles
As your team is pushed to the limit during this hectic time, reminding them about winter safety best practices should be at the top of your to-do list.
Below, we explore how winter driving safety tips for employees are a simple way to keep safety top-of-mind and protect your workforce during the hectic holiday season.
Winter Driving Safety Tips for Employees
Excess deliveries and a rise in the demand for services create a major time crunch. This can cause your drivers to make poor decisions while behind the wheel, such as prioritizing speed over safety.
For example, why climb down using three points of contact when jumping is much faster? Careless decisions like this can cause a broken leg, parking lot crash or other incidents that can threaten the safety of your drivers and derail your operation.
So, how do you ensure that your drivers remain vigilant?
By sending out proactive safety reminders, you can maintain your safety culture and boost the effectiveness of your driver safety program throughout the holiday season.
How to Share Winter Driver Safety Reminders with Your Fleet
To ensure busy drivers don’t miss your messages, keep the reminders short and share them far and wide. You can quickly grab your drivers’ attention by:
- Hanging an injury prevention poster on the break room door
- Texting or emailing drivers a daily safety message
- Asking supervisors to share a safety tip at every driver briefing (parking lot safety, slip and fall prevention, night driving and fatigue, etc.)
Insider Tip: Safety Messages Improve Driver Retention
Many managers underestimate the value of safety messages. It’s understandable. Time is precious and it’s reasonable to assume no one wants a longer meeting or one more email. But consider this: exhaustion and cynicism are two primary causes of driver burnout.
- When you tell drivers, “take it slow on slippery roads, we want you to get home safe,” they’ll feel appreciated and cared for.
- By acknowledging and addressing fatigue (instead of ignoring the problem), you can reduce feelings of pessimism. Drivers will know you see them as human beings, not just cogs in a corporate wheel.
Download Our Winter Driving Safety Tips and Resources
In our Winter Safety Tips and Resources bundle, we’ve included free, shareable winter safety messages. Each e-Postcard has an eye-catching image and a winter driving tip from one of our online driver training courses. Download your package to share with your team today!