Safety continues to be one of the top priorities for fleets today. Strong safety programs, anti-distracted driving initiatives, regular and ongoing training, and telematics-powered driver monitoring have all contributed to a renaissance in fleet safety.

However, as recent statistics have demonstrated, collision rates — including fatalities — are actually going up, not down. The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that, year-over-year collision rates increased 14% while miles driven decreased 18%¹.

While these negative trends are likely not due to fleet drivers — it does point to the need to be ever-vigilant about safety and to give drivers the tools they need to stay safe on the road — particularly through the choice of the vehicles they drive.

The High Cost of Fleet Collisions

This emphasis on driver safety has both a humanitarian and business rationale:

• Drivers want to work for a company that emphasizes their safety and keeps them safe while they’re behind the wheel and gives them confidence that they will return home safely each night.
• Customers want to do business with companies that prioritize the well-being of their employees and conduct their business in a safe and above-board manner.

There is also a bottom-line, dollar-and-cents component as well. The average cost of a bent-metal only collision is about $15,000 with the costs skyrocketing when there are injuries — on average about $70,000 (or twice the cost of a workplace injury) — or a fatality, which can reach into the millions of dollars². Indirect costs related to the fleet and the company’s reputation with drivers and current or future customers could continue impacting the company’s profitability for years to come.

In light of these stark numbers, there’s only one conclusion that can be made — it makes business sense to invest in fleet safety.

Tapping into the Volvo Safety Legacy

Safety is part of Volvo’s DNA and legacy. In 1959, Volvo engineers developed the three-point safety belt and the company provided it — without a fee — to every car manufacturer in the world.

The result: This safety belt revolutionized vehicle safety, making many previously fatal collisions survivable with, at most, minor injuries.

Volvo has continued to build on this cornerstone technology and commitment, and it is this enduring legacy that fleets are tapping into when they add Volvo to their selectors.

For MY-2021, Volvo is strengthening its portfolio of standard safety features for all vehicles, including:

• BLIS
• Active LED
• Care Key

Recognizing that speeding — which is tied to driver behavior — is a one of the weak links in the safety chain along with distracted driving, from 2020, all Volvo vehicles will have a top speed of 112 mph.

Further, built-in geofencing technology will automatically limit the vehicle’s speed to posted limits around schools and hospitals.

To this end, fleets won’t have to sacrifice safety based on trim or pricing limits for drivers. That means drivers across the board from the entry-level driver employee to the top executive will experience the same level of safety and protection while driving.

For example, Volvo’s entire line up of PHEV SUVs, from the compact XC 40 to the full-size XC 90 are available with this wide array of standard safety features. This commitment to safety also underpins the stylish and elegant executive-class S 60.

Investing in safety will protect your fleet and your business. Case in point, the safety technology in Volvo vehicles have reduced incidents in the U.S alone by.:

• 33% for bodily injuries
• 20% for collisions in general

These are potentially significant maintenance and human savings that go right to the bottom line by increasing driver productivity and vehicle uptime while prompting a safe fleet operation.

For more information, go to the Volvo Commercial Fleet Website.

 

 

References

1. “Road Fatalities Up in March Despite Drop in Miles Driven, NSC Study Finds.” AF Staff. Automotive-fleet.com. March 22, 2020. www.automotive-fleet.com/359028/road-fatalities-up-in-march-despite-drop-in-miles-driven-nsc-study-finds. Accessed June 23,2020.

2. “Commercial Fleet Accident Rate Reaches 20%.” Antich, Mike. Automotive-fleet.com. May 25, 2018. www.automotive-fleet.com/303123/fleet-safety-metrics-reverse-negatively-accidents-increase. Accessed June 23, 2020.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet