As the leader of a company that employs drivers, you likely know how vital it is to prevent car accidents. Distracted driving is now the leading cause of vehicular accidents, highlighting the urgent need for platforms and strategies designed to reduce the number of distracted driving accidents. Below is a look at the incidence of distracted driving and the top five ways Ready Fleet helps stop distracted driving accidents.
How prevalent is distracted driving?
“There are now nearly 4,000 distracted driving-related deaths each year. However, since there is no “blood test” for distracted driving many, many experts contend that distracted driving crashes, injuries, and fatalities are vastly under reported.”
– Joel Feldman, The Casey Feldman Memorial Foundation and EndDD.org
Results of a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute show that roughly two-thirds of drivers are distracted in the seconds prior to being involved in an accident. The study identified the following factors as the key contributors to distracted driving:
- Cell phone usage
- Reading or writing while driving
- Reaching for an item inside the vehicle
- Using a dashboard touchscreen
Perhaps the most frightening finding is researchers’ estimate that being distracted while driving can cause your risk of being involved in a car accident to more than double. Even more sobering is the notion that accidents and fatalities due to distracted driving are likely underreported.
How does Ready Fleet help prevent distracted driving accidents?
In response to the rise in distracted driving accidents, the technology experts with Ready Wireless developed Ready Fleet as a total solution for fleet managers seeking to improve asset tracking and prevent distracted driving. As a web-based monitoring application that can be used with your favorite mobile device, Ready Fleet is the perfect solution for safety-minded business owners who recognize the need for drivers to stay connected. Below are the top five ways that Ready Fleet helps prevent distracted driving accidents:
1) Ready Fleet identifies risky driving behaviors
Risky driving behaviors play a key role in distracted driving and vehicular accidents. Speeding, in particular, is directly linked to accidents and fatal crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) highlights the need to tackle the problem of speeding:
“For more than two decades, speeding has been involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities. In 2016, speeding was a contributing factor in 27 percent of all fatal crashes.
Speeding endangers not only the life of the speeder, but all of the people on the road around them, including law enforcement officers. It is a problem we all need to help solve.”
– National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA)
Ready Fleet helps address the root cause of distracted driving accidents by identifying speeding, harsh braking, cell phone usage, and other risky driving behaviors. The end results are a foundation for safer driving and fewer accidents.
2) Ready Fleet will help you maintain the health of your fleet
Accidents can occur even if drivers take their eyes off the road for a few seconds to look at a check engine light or low tire pressure alert. Warning lights and other vehicular troubles can cause drivers to lose their focus, look for the operator’s manual while driving, or attempt to resolve the problem while trying to navigate the highway. With the help of Ready Fleet, you can easily keep track of the following elements in real time for all of your vehicles:
- Fuel levels
- Engine temperature
- Battery health
- Maintenance visits
- Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs)
By tracking the health of your fleet vehicles, you can limit the incidence of vehicular trouble. Drivers can remain focused on the road instead of struggling to find solutions to car problems while operating fleet vehicles.
3) Ready Fleet’s driver score cards allow managers to track driver progress
Ready Fleet’s driver score cards enable managers to compare driver stats from week to week. The score cards track stats for cell phone usage and harsh driving events, providing managers with an opportunity to monitor improvement. Data tracked through driver score cards can be discussed during employee performance reviews and used to recommend a raise or corrective action for an employee.
4) Ready Fleet can shut down specific cell phone functions for risky drivers
Cell phone usage is directly correlated with car crashes and fatalities. In fact, a growing number of automakers and tech companies are responding to this trend by introducing driver distraction platforms:
“…Anti-distraction technologies come in response to growing statistics that confirm distracted driving is a major cause of injuries and fatalities — and that young people are particularly susceptible to these interruptions. Risks for car crashes quadruple when the driver is using a phone…”
– Jenny Che, Associate Business Editor, The Huffington Post
Ready Fleet’s anti-distraction technology platform features a device that shuts down certain cell phone functions while your fleet vehicles are in motion. This distracted driving solution can be used with drivers whose score cards reveal recurrent cell phone usage. Adding this distracted driving solution to your Ready Fleet account is easy and affordable, costing only $10 per month after a one-time $130 fee.
5) Ready Fleet can have a positive impact on driving outside of work
Ready Fleet can help people eliminate risky driving behaviors even when they are not on the clock or being monitored. Employees who become accustomed to driving fleet vehicles without using their cell phones while they are working may be less inclined to use their cell phones while driving their own vehicles for non-work related purposes. The end result is a heightened sensitivity to safe driving during and after work hours.
The Bottom Line
As outlined above, Ready Fleet offers a comprehensive solution to minimize distracted driving accidents. With the help of Ready Fleet’s network switching capabilities, you can reduce distractions in the wireless network, thereby helping to prevent accidents. The Ready Wireless team understands the daily challenges facing fleet managers and are eager to help prevent distracted driving. We invite you to contact us today to schedule your free Ready Fleet demo. We look forward to helping you achieve a distraction-free driving fleet!
