With most of their workforce on the road all day, every day, companies with large fleets of drivers face unique safety challenges. In addition to supervising workers who are largely out of sight, they must deal with the growing risks presented by congestion and distracted driving. More than ever, fleet operators need good safety policies and programs to help keep workers safe on the road.

The car wasn’t going very fast when it passed us. In fact, it was hardly going any faster than we were, which made me wonder why the driver felt the need to go by. As he signaled right and began to move back into our lane, the rear of the car began a graceful, slow motion pirouette to the left and the car rotated a full 180 degrees clockwise as we both continued down the highway. Bill, who was driving our van, braked gently and we stopped just in time to see the car (now facing the wrong way and going backward in front of us) come to a gentle stop in the snow bank that had been left by the plough. No one was hurt and we helped the car get out of the snow bank, turn around and be on their way.

Backing, parking and slow speed manoeuvring incidents account for over 40 per cent of reportable vehicle incidents in most operations. Thinking Driver’s Safe Backing on-site driver safety training targets this situation by teaching drivers how to reduce backing incidents. Safe Backing is a practical program and is conducted in small groups in a closed training area, the company said. This is a competency-based course and varies in duration to a maximum of four hours. The course provides theory and practical learning focused on the reduction of backing incidents by developing strategies to reduce backing and build requisite skills to back safely when required, Thinking Driver said. With the program, employees will learn safe backing in a variety of situations: backing to sight side and blind side in a non-articulated vehicle; backing using a guide; backing using mirrors; backing through turns and close quarters; and, close quarters manoeuvring in forward direction. Backing programs for trailers, heavy trucks and articulated vehicles are also available.
www.thinkingdriver.com

Bolland Driving Solutions, Kentville, N.S., offers an interactive driving simulator to train drivers. The simulator, from Virtual Driver Interactive, Inc., of California (VDI), has three programs: One Simple Decision promotes safe driving by letting drivers experience the hazards and consequences of distracted and impaired driving in the safety of indoors; StreetReady teaches and assesses new drivers; and, Virtual HD — intended for corporate fleets — is a driver safety program designed to improve hazard recognition skills, lower accident rates and reduce distracted driving. The One Simple Decision and Virtual HD products come in Canadian versions. Insurance firm SGI Canada helped develop the Canadian version of One Simple Decision, to ensure it accurately represented Canadian laws and the consequences of distracted and impaired driving, Bolland said. Trucking companies, utility companies, government departments and safety specialists are now using the driver simulation system, not only to reduce distracted driving but also to improve or test driving skills — sometimes, as a pre-screening tool prior to hiring, Bolland said. A company can lease a VDI entry-level driving simulator for under $300 a month, Bolland said.
www.virtualdrivercanada.ca

Employees must take some responsibility for workplace health and safety and employers can’t be expected to constantly supervise them, an Ontario court has ruled in dismissing charges against a company following a workplace injury.

With most of their workforce on the road all day, every day, companies with large fleets of drivers face unique safety challenges. In addition to supervising workers who are largely out of sight, they must deal with the growing risks presented by congestion and distracted driving. More than ever, fleet operators need good safety policies and programs to help keep workers safe on the road.

Some people like to buy lottery tickets. I do. Even though our chances of winning big are really quite slim, we still buy those tickets every month in hope of getting lucky. As they say: if you don’t play, you can’t win. The more tickets you buy, the greater your chances — so some of us buy plenty.

Motor vehicle incidents continue to be a leading cause of workplace injuries and fatalities across Ontario. It is this fact that led over 100 members of Ontario’s business sector to Mississauga on Oct. 26.

In last month’s article, Multitasking myths and misconceptions, I discussed how, over time, we all have contributed to a global cultural norm of driving while distracted and the unfortunate perception that it is okay, or accepted to do so. This article explains the science behind how we learn, and how it is impossible to safely perform other tasks while driving.

UPS Canada has honoured its drivers who have achieved 25 years or more of safe driving with a special badge to add to their uniform.


The drivers are part of UPS’s prestigious Circle of Honour, the company’s highest level of driving recognition. Drivers are added to the UPS Circle of Honour each year as they achieve the 25-year milestone.