From rising consumer prices to empty shelves to fleet driver shortages, the effects of the supply chain crisis are continuing to be felt in communities across the globe. Further compounding the problem is the latest surge in COVID-19, tightening the workforce availability across industries. One of the biggest obstacles remains a shortage of fleet drivers –– a reality expected to worsen as more drivers retire. 

The American Trucking Association expects driver shortages to reach record numbers by the year 2030. With current estimates placing the number of drivers needed at about 80,000, that number is expected to double in seven years. (To learn more about this issue, check out our 2021 Year in Review article.)

With driver shortages, fleets are finding it more difficult to focus on investing in other aspects of their operations. However, with accidents on the rise and driver retention at an all-time low, investing in a comprehensive safety solution can have a positive impact on your fleet, from brand reputation to employee security and its long-term bottom line.

Here are four reasons why your company should prioritize safety technology investments in 2022:

1. Strong Driver Retention. A strong fleet safety culture is a primary reason why drivers choose to stick with a company. However, some safety systems can have adverse effects on driver retention. Current fleet safety measures, such as no-tolerance mobile device policies and in-cab cameras, can adversely affect driver retention. In-cab cameras are terrific at recording events in the cab, including just before an accident or distracted-driving event. However, cameras can only tell fleet managers what happened—they do not prevent distracted-driving accidents caused by drivers’ unsafe use of their mobile devices while behind the wheel. Do more than monitor the problem with Motion Intelligence’s preventative safety technology that disables features on mobile devices according to company policy while still allowing access to vital features such as emergency contacts and navigation. The app can help drivers improve their safety behavior while behind the wheel, so more drivers improve instead of break policy — keeping more drivers on the job.

2. Increased Distracted Driving Incidents. Despite fewer cars on the road during the pandemic, distracted driving incidents have reached notable highs. Perhaps drivers are letting their guards down on the empty roads, perhaps the digital connections we’ve established during time spent in quarantine have led us to be more addicted than ever to our devices. No matter the reason, along with new legislation greenlighting drivers as young as 18 years old to transport freight across state lines, the number and risk of even more distracted driving-related incidents are clearly increasing. Fleets need a comprehensive solution that stops distracted driving before it happens.

3. Rising Insurance Premiums. Recent data on insurance premiums show that costs have risen by over 10,000% in the past decade. A recent record-breaking $1 billion dollar nuclear verdict set a new precedent for what fleets stand to pay as a consequence for distracted driving. Investing in safe driving technology like Motion Intelligence’s innovative safety technology will save your fleet money in the long run. On average, out customers see an ROI within just 60 days of implementing our solution.

4. Technology Addiction. The average person checks their phone 47 times a day. When we receive a text, our brains get surged with dopamine, and when our brain is in this reward state, it shuts off the part of our brain responsible for judgment and self-control, leading to distracted driving and its dangerous consequences. Current fleet safety measures, such as no-tolerance mobile device policies and in-cab cameras, fail to effectively address the habitual addiction at the heart of the problem. The Motion Intelligence Evvy App can restrict mobile device action and actively intervene in the cycle of addiction. And, with our Evvy Scoring and Rewards Program, you can move from preventive to predictive. The program combines our innovative technology with a new scoring system that scores a driver’s performance. This new scoring system provides timely actionable feedback that can be incentivized with rewards, which is an approach that has been shown to reduce distracted driving by up to 39% in just 30 days.

With a new year ahead of us, fleets can begin prioritizing fleet safety technology like the comprehensive Motion Intelligence solution. Our Evvy App uses an associated signaling device and a cloud-based dashboard to manage mobile device policies in fleet vehicles. Evvy detects vehicle motion and puts the phone into a safe-driving mode, preventing dangerous options while keeping drivers safely connected. By preventing the distraction, it breaks the technology addiction drivers (like all of us) have to their devices. With our distracted driving solution, drivers can feel good about making safer driving decisions while on the road. 

Reach out today to learn more about this exciting program and how it can help your fleet!