Mark Stone, Head: General Personal and Commercial Lines of Centriq Insurance
Arrive Alive statistics indicate that 90% of accidents in the country are preceded by a road traffic offence, and that in 70 - 80% of these incidents, the major contributing factors are aggressive, reckless, negligent or inconsiderate driver behaviour (in
Surveys furthermore suggest that more than half of drivers on South African roads are guilty of aggressive driving, including yelling at other motorists, making rude gestures, blowing the hooter unnecessarily, tailgating, failing to indicate when changing lanes or turning, driving in the emergency lane to pass other cars, and making unsafe lane changes – which are all precursors to road rage.
These put vehicle owners, especially those who usually have a number of vehicles on the road simultaneously, at risk as;
a) poor/substandard driving behaviour considerably increases the chances of an accident taking place,
b) the vehicle owner may be ultimately responsible for the behaviour of each of his / her drivers’ driving behaviour, both in the eyes of the law and in terms of insurance cover.
Mark Stone, Head: General Personal and Commercial Lines of Centriq Insurance explains: “In terms of standard insurance policy wordings, a vehicle owner is required to take reasonable care and precaution to prevent loss or damage. Cover may be affected if the driver fails to abide by the rules of the road. As such, road rage, reckless, aggressive or impaired driving (not only alcohol or illegal drugs but also some over the counter drugs), driving with impaired hearing or eyesight, driving when suffering from sleep-depravation or an illness that can affect a driver's ability to control a vehicle – could fall outside the scope of the insurance agreement, and may result in a repudiated insurance claim.”
PRO-ACTIVITY KEY TO SUCCESS
While advanced vehicle tracking devices allow vehicle owners to track the behaviour of their drivers in real time to monitor excessive speed, harsh braking or steering, the fact of the matter remains that not all small fleets can afford these systems. So what are the alternatives?
"Firstly, companies should thoroughly screen their drivers before allowing them behind the wheel of a company vehicle," suggests Stone. "Secondly, a detailed company policy should clearly set out the responsibilities and obligations of those driving company vehicles. Do not simply assume that drivers will know that ignoring the rules of the road, road rage, aggressive driving or impaired driving is unacceptable - these driving behaviours, along with the consequences, should be explicitly documented and communicated to all drivers in a company.”
In addition to the above, Stone notes that he would like to see regular driver training become mandatory for everyone driving a company vehicle. “Driver training has proven highly effective in improving driver behaviour and reducing accident rates. And given the fact that studies show that driver monitoring programmes can reduce accident rates by as much as 50%, companies can also implement these,” he adds.
Fortunately vehicle tracking technology is not the only option in this regard. Driver monitoring systems can be as simple as "Report Poor Driving" bumper stickers with a 24-hour call centre number. “Due to the psychological effect on the driver and the fact that it makes the public the company’s ‘eyes’ on the road, it has proven highly effective for many fleet owners,” comments Stone.
Other preventative measures include:
“By implementing these preventative measures, vehicle owners can improve driver behaviour, reduce losses, keep vehicles on the road, assist in proving that 'reasonable care and precaution' was taken to prevent loss or damage, stay on the right side of the law, and reduce insurance premiums,” Stone concludes.
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