How to build a fleet safety program

Posted on December 21, 2020January 25, 2025 by Shield Insurance Agency

How many vehicles in your fleet?

When you have employees driving on behalf of your business — whether or not they use a company vehicle — it’s time to take a closer look at your risk exposure and establish a fleet safety program to help protect the wellbeing of your company and your employees.

Here are five best practices for creating a risk management program for fleet vehicles:

1. Start at the top and write it down.

The best way to ensure your fleet safety program is successful is by having leadership commit to supporting it as a critical part of your company’s risk management and fleet management programs. Then, after setting expectations among your leadership, write down a formal plan with clear policies and procedures for fleet safety.

2. Identify and screen your drivers.

Safe drivers are an essential part of a fleet safety program — and you may have more drivers than you realize. Your fleet program can include company-owned, private, or rented vehicles. While businesses are generally aware of their risk exposure with company-owned vehicles, many don’t know the full extent of their risk exposure from non-owned vehicles. Keep a record of everyone who currently is or will be driving on behalf of your business, whether they use a company-owned, personal, or rented vehicle.

For those employees using their own personal vehicles for business purposes, it’s important to hold them to the same fleet screening standards as those employees operating company-owned vehicles. You also may need to add coverage to your commercial auto insurance, which could help your business recover in case an accident results in a business liability event for your company, which could impact both your finances and your reputation.

When hiring, carefully screen your drivers. Check the job applicant’s Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) to view past driving trends, which can help provide insight into future driving behaviors. An MVR typically shows a person’s driving history from the past three years, including driver’s license information, point history, violations, convictions, and license status.

For many companies, a driver is considered unacceptable when the MVR shows:

More than three moving violations, accidents or both
Driving while intoxicated or under the influence of narcotics
License suspension and any serious violation such as reckless driving, endangering the lives of others, and racing

By pre-screening drivers as part of your standard hiring practices, you’ll empower your fleet safety program, making it more reliable, effective, and safer.

3. Train and manage your drivers.

Require all of your fleet drivers to learn and commit to the company’s fleet safety policies and procedures. Additionally, provide training and resources on defensive driving and other safe driving techniques. For example, there are many forms of distracted driving including talking on the phone, texting, eating, daydreaming, and other things that take the driver’s attention away from driving.

It is also essential to continue to manage your drivers to help ensure they are following your fleet safety rules and driving safely. Schedule time to check the MVR of your drivers and have a plan in place for handling drivers with marginal or poor driving records.

You may also want to consider using fleet telematics to further strengthen your overall fleet safety program. Telematics is a technology that can track and monitor a variety of driver and vehicle parameters. Some examples include a vehicle’s speed, fuel consumption, harsh braking, and other driving behaviors.

4. Have a formal preventive maintenance program and secure your vehicles.

Make sure all vehicles are safe to drive by having each of them on a formal preventive maintenance program. This includes routine oil changes, vehicle inspections, making repairs, and keeping vehicle records. It’s also important to ensure that all vehicles are being secured to minimize any losses related to theft or vandalism while the vehicle isn’t being used.

5. Review accidents and consult your Risk Control specialist.

Take time to review accidents involving your company’s fleet vehicles to help you pinpoint your risk exposures, identify trends, manage accident costs, and take action to avoid future accidents.

Additionally, ask your independent insurance agent about loss and risk control services that may be available to you through your commercial insurance provider. Some insurance companies, including Grange Insurance, offer Risk Control Services to their commercial insurance customers, providing expert risk management services including formalized safety programs, training and help identifying, analyzing and addressing business’s unique risks.

This article is for informational and suggestion purposes only. If the policy coverage descriptions in this article conflict with the language in the policy, the language in the policy applies.

In a car accident or broke down? Helpful tips

Posted on June 18, 2020January 31, 2025 by Shield Insurance Agency

Helpful tips if you are in a car accident or a breakdown.

No one expects to get into a car accident. Although you can work to prevent and prepare for one, the sudden jolt may leave you shocked and stressed, and unsure of what to do next. While you try to wrap your head around what just happened, it’s easy to forget vital actions that can aid your physical and financial recovery.

Just remember to be SAFE—both literally and by following our acronym:

S – Safety first
A – Alert authorities
F – Fact collection
E – Exchange information

Safety first

The No. 1 priority after a car accident is the safety of yourself and others. Immediately after the accident, be sure you:

Turn on your hazard lights.
If possible, pull your car over to a safe place. If not, stay inside with your seatbelt on.
Check the safety of others and provide assistance to anyone with an injury.
Don’t move an injured person. This can cause additional damage and should be avoided unless the person’s safety is at risk.

Alert authorities

Even if it’s a minor fender bender that you think you can settle among yourselves, it’s still important (and in some states, the law) to call the authorities no matter how small the accident is.

Call 911 or the local police station.
Avoid saying “I’m sorry.” Even if you feel guilty, don’t admit fault—especially when talking to the police. You may find out later that the other driver was actually to blame or that you share the blame.
Even if you don’t show visible injuries, it’s recommended to call for medical help or at least visit the emergency room or your doctor after you leave the area.
Be sure to file an accident report, even if police don’t come to the crash site. Depending on the state’s laws and the severity of the accident, police may not be dispatched. Filing a report puts the accident on the books and can help speed up the claim process.

Fact collection

After an accident, you may feel a whirlwind of emotions. Stay calm, and immediately document the accident as you experienced it.

Take pictures of your car, any other cars involved and the surrounding area.
Take notes on what happened before, during and after the accident. Include details about the location, weather, road conditions and traffic control.
Write down the names of any law enforcement officials or witnesses who are at the scene.

Exchange information

Swapping information is essential to work through any sort of claim or legal process that could result from a car accident. Be sure to exchange:

Names
Addresses
Phone numbers
License plate numbers
Driver’s license numbers
Insurance providers
Policy numbers

What to do once you arrive home
Unfortunately, even after you have SAFE-ly left the accident, there are still a few matters to take care of, such as filing a claim. You’ll want to report your claim ASAP. The sooner you file a claim, the sooner your insurance provider can start working on it—and the sooner you can get your life back together.

Note: This article contains helpful tips for any driver involved in an auto accident. Policyholders may choose to follow this advice or not without it affecting their auto coverage.

What to Do in a Car Accident or Breakdown

Posted on August 8, 2019April 28, 2022 by Shield Insurance Agency

For when things go wrong on the road.

4 MINUTE READ

Compliments of Shield Agency and AAA Insurance Companies

Nathan Hackett

Don’t wait until a car accident or breakdown happens to figure out the steps you need to take. Prepare for it ahead of time with the help of these checklists for what to do in a car accident or breakdown:

Download and print this page to put in your glove box as a handy reminder in case you need it down the road (and we hope you never do).Get It Now

What to do in a car accident or breakdown: before it happens

Put a copy of your proof of insurance (plus a pen and paper) in your glove box.
Add your insurance company’s phone number and your policy number to your phone. (If you have insurance through AAA, download the AAA Mobile app for free and log in. Your policy details are on the app.)
Make note of your preferred repair shop should your vehicle need to be towed. If you need recommendations for trustworthy shops, find AAA Approved Auto Repair facilitiesnear you.
Keep an emergency kit with first-aid and roadside visibility items (e.g., flashlight, flares) in your car.

What to do in a car accident: after it happens

1. Check for injuries: Take a few slow, deep breaths to calm yourself and assess your own condition. If you’re able, check on others involved in the collision to determine if anyone is hurt. If you or they need medical attention, call 911.

2. Remain at the scene: If no one is injured and your vehicle is drivable, turn on the hazard lights and safely move it to an emergency lane or parking area. If it can’t be moved, turn on the hazard lights and go to a spot safely away from moving traffic until emergency services arrive.

3. Exchange information: Take photos of the location, people involved and damaged vehicles, and exchange information with all parties, including witnesses. Write down or use your phone’s camera to collect everyone’s information: name; address/email; driver’s license number; insurance carrier and policy number; vehicle make, model, and year; license plate number; VIN.

4. File a police report: If the police don’t come to the scene, file an accident report at a local police station or your insurance agency a day or two later. It will be important if injuries from the crash (such as whiplash) don’t appear for several days and you or another party needs to file a liability claim.

5. Notify your insurance carrier: The sooner you make your insurance company aware of the crash, the sooner it can start the claim process.

6. Get your vehicle repaired: The choice of where to get the repairs done is yours, and you can ask your insurance company for body shop recommendations. Plus, we can help with that at one of our AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities—simply find the one closest to you.

What to do in a breakdown: after it happens

Locations, traffic patterns, and vehicle problems vary—so the following are general suggestions, not rigid rules:

1. Safely pull off the road.

2. Alert other motorists so they avoid you (turn on hazard lights, open hood, etc.).

3. Make a written or mental note of your vehicle’s location.

4. Identify the problem or anything unusual (sounds, smells, etc.).

5. Call for roadside assistance and, if needed, contact your insurance company. (You can reach AAA via the AAA Mobile app or by calling the number on your membership card.)

6. If it’s safe to do so, remain with your vehicle until the service technician arrives.