According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2018, truck drivers—only a portion of all commercial drivers—accounted for the most on-the-job fatalities of any profession in the United States. Many of those fatalities can be attributed to distracted driving. The financial costs of driving accidents ultimately come back to the company, so improving fleet driver safety is crucial to upholding your company’s bottom line.
On average, crashes that result in property damage cost $63,000, those with injuries cost $438,000, and those that result in fatalities cost more than $10 million, according to an analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) data. In the event that it is sued for a crash, if a company cannot prove that its fleet has a strong safety culture, it could face a “nuclear verdict or a judgment for the plaintiff in excess of $10 million.” Furthermore, between 2011 and 2018, insurance costs associated with distracted driving rose 10,000%, meaning these accidents can permanently affect a company’s insurance rates. And this doesn’t even account for the loss in revenue incurred when commercial vehicles are damaged and cannot arrive at their destination on time.
Implementing a solution to prevent distracted driving can help fleets avoid these costs—and when accidents happen, a fleet manager can point to the solution as evidence of an intentional safety culture. At Motion Intelligence, we’ve created an effective, tamper-proof solution to help improve fleet driver safety and minimize the costs associated with distracted driving.
How Does the Motion Intelligence Distracted-Driving Solution Improve Fleet Driver Safety?
Our solution uses two pieces of software: the Evvy App and the MotionIQ Dashboard. Fleet drivers install the Evvy App on their phones, which then sends data and reports to the MotionIQ Dashboard for fleet managers to monitor. The Evvy App is available on the Apple Store and Google Play.
When installed, the Evvy App locks mobile devices once a vehicle begins moving faster than 6 miles per hour. Drivers then will only be able to use apps approved by fleet managers and make calls to approved numbers or services, such as emergency services or work-related contacts. The app will also detect and report the activation of “rogue devices” or mobile devices that do not have the Evvy App installed, meaning the solution cannot be outsmarted.
By encouraging drivers to become less reliant on their mobile devices, our distracted-driving solution also contributes to the development of a safe driving culture in a fleet. Fleet managers can be assured that their drivers will begin operating more safely and, over time, adopt safe habits with their mobile devices. Ultimately, this means companies will spend less money on penalties if a driver does get in an accident because the fleet, as a whole, exhibits safe behaviors.
A Win-Win: Fleet Driver Safety and Lower Costs
Overall, prioritizing fleet driver safety by implementing our distracted-driving solution makes our roads safer, lowers unnecessary costs for the company, and cuts back on revenue loss.
