At Supervision, driver safety is our top priority. Everything we do centers around it. However, before a true safety culture can be effective, driver and fleet managers must understand the level of risk an irresponsible driver poses to their organization. Entrusting a driver with a company vehicle, or entrusting them to drive their own vehicle on company time, is a big risk. If the driver isn’t prepared to adhere to safety regulations, they are a risk that is not worth taking.
BUT, HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY DRIVERS WHO POSE A RISK?
Motor Vehicle Records, or MVRs, are the most effective way to determine driver risk at hire as well as throughout the driver’s employment. MVRs provide a full view of a driver’s history for the last 3-7 years, depending on the state, and have several risk indicating components including:
• Driver and Licensure Information
• License Status
• Traffic Violations
• Accident Reports
• Vehicular Crimes
THE ANNUAL MVR & THE 364 DAY GRACE PERIOD
While checking MVR records prior to a driver hire, and once per year throughout the driver’s employment, is a good idea, this method has some drawbacks and can create exposure for the company.
If a company only pulls driver records once a year, and a driver receives a violation or license suspension the day after, he or she has a 364-day grace period before the infraction is discovered. If this driver were to have an accident or traffic stop during this grace period, the company could be held liable and face direct and indirect costs.
NEGLIGENT ENTRUSTMENT
Negligence, or Negligent Entrustment, occurs when a dangerous article – in this case a vehicle – is entrusted to somebody who is reckless, inexperienced, or incompetent. If the entrusted individual has an accident, the injured party has the right to bring a case against the individual’s employer.
Learn more about how you can identify risky drivers in our white paper “Risky Drivers: How to Spot the Red Flags”.
