If your delivery drivers’ health and safety policy focuses on reducing on-road collisions only, be cautious it does not overlook a major contributor to accident-related costs. It is generally accepted that parking lot collisions account for 60% of crashes in the USA. The same can likely be said of South Africa.
Fleet operators and their drivers can incorporate a number of tips to reduce this costly occurrence. The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, expands: “Make these tips part of standard operating procedure to reduce your accident-related costs drastically. These collisions are often less serious but can still take a serious toll on your company’s bottom line.”
- Inattention and rushing
Delivery schedules can be demanding requiring drivers to rush. “Use proper and realistic planning to ensure your drivers are not pressurised and rushed. Additionally, these demands can cause drivers to be distracted. Ensure you have a policy that teaches drivers to focus on one task at a time and use technology to help manage these distractions.”
- Training
Ensure your driver training includes parking lots. “Practice exercises such as cone drills. Intentionally use cones to make a practice parking spot too small or inadequate to park in. This will teach drivers when to identify a risky parking spot and when to rather look for another.”
- Check, check, check
Teach drivers to get out and double check. “Get out and inspect your surroundings as much as needed. This is particularly important when manoeuvring into tight or difficult parking spots if other options are not available. It is also faster to get out and check than what it is to hit something.”
- Driving assistant
Part of the training and checking rules should include using driving assistants. “If you have two employees driving together, both should be trained in this role. They should get out of the vehicle and keep an eye on obstacles in the parking lot as the vehicle reverses into a spot. Making the driver and assistant equally responsible for collisions encourages due attention to be given to this rule.”
- Do not rely on technology alone
Reverse cameras can be useful in assisting with reversing. “This technology, however, should not be solely relied on. Their type, quality and various other factors affect their effectiveness. Reverse cameras can also miss certain objects such as cylindrical objects or hazards outside of their range.”
- Avoidance
Where possible avoid parking areas fraught with opportunities for accidents. “Proper planning will help drivers avoid parking lots at their busiest times or select quieter petrol stations for refuels.”
- Incentive programmes
Some organisations find incentivisation effective. “Awarding drivers with the best safety records can provide the motivation to make all of these tips second nature.
“If your company has not already addressed parking lot accidents, now is the time. Organisations with drivers who live, or more accurately drive, by these simple but effective tips can expect significant cost-savings,” says Herbert.
