The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recorded 10,142 deaths from drunk-driving collisions in 2019, generating the lowest recorded percentage since 1982. While fewer marginal fatalities offer hope for the future, there should be zero deaths. As the NHTSA emphasizes, these tragedies were all preventable.
Preventing drunk or impaired driving in your operation may seem complicated and nearly impossible at times since you can’t have eyes on a driver 24/7. There is a level of good faith involved in trusting drivers to practice safe behaviors on the road, but that doesn’t negate that there are actionable ways fleet leaders can protect drivers, their business reputation, and public safety.
Where drunk driving stands in the commercial vehicle world
Drinking alcohol impairs brake reaction time, steering responsiveness, and lane control. Merge those effects with a large truck and a congested roadway, and you have a recipe for disaster and devastation.
The vast majority of commercial vehicle drivers treat their roles and their pledges of safety to the public with the utmost seriousness. One of the only dedicated studies around commercial drivers and drunk driving concluded that these drivers were the most sober on the road.
The reality is most commercial drivers may not even know they’re inebriated under established federal law benchmarks. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico specify that driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 g/dL or higher is illegal. However, the number is halved for commercial vehicle drivers, who may face criminal charges if they have a BAC of .04 g/dL or more. So, commercial drivers must be twice as alert as everyday drivers to be considered in good health to manage a commercial vehicle. This metric is more than justified when considering the sheer size, weight, and technical responsibilities of operating large trucks.
How you can concretely reduce or eliminate drunk driving
Most workplaces don’t have established drunk driving protocols because employee roles and transportation don’t intermingle. A retail worker facing a DUI charge will be perceived as behaving irresponsibly, but that won’t fare positively or negatively on the store where they work. Commercial trucking is different. Driving responsibly is the job. Failing to do so can annihilate your business name and alter the way customers — and the general public — view your brand.
So, fleet leaders looking to ensure drunk driving incidents are kept far away from their well-constructed reputation must establish a culture of safety that includes, and prioritizes, drunk driving prevention and awareness. That’s made possible with training, a culture of communication, and video safety technology.
With regular training, you can notify drivers of important metrics around drunk driving, like the .04 g/dL BAC number they may not be aware of, and other prevention and safety practices that serve as reminders of the heavy responsibilities and expectations they carry in their roles. Communication between safety managers and drivers is critical. It builds trust, a sense of responsibility among drivers, and a platform to discuss potentially hazardous behaviors before they come to fruition. Lastly, video-based safety ensures you’re seeing driving behaviors in real time and with unparalleled evidence. If a driver exhibits inebriated tendencies, like swerving, you can quickly alert them and prevent them from driving further.
Thanks for reading! We’ll be back with more safety-focused tips in time for Operation Safe Driver Week 2021, which is coming your way July 11-17. Stay tuned, and read this blog in the meantime!