AT&T Fleet Management Solutions
5 Questions To Consider After a Hard Brake Event, and What it Means To Your Business
Hard-brake events are a leading indicator of potentially unsafe driving
behavior which is one of the seven BASIC performance indicators
noted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. These events
could be the near-miss of an accident, the result of slippery roads, a
driver getting cut-off in traffic, or an accident itself – all things that a
driver safety team should review with the driver.
Have you looked at how slamming on a truck’s brakes could impact
your business? There are solutions that offer hard-braking and blackbox reporting which triggers in-depth reporting before and after the
event. Black-box reports show rapid acceleration and deceleration as
well as driver panic events. The report details the event time and the
number of feet the vehicle traveled in that second. It also includes
speed in MPH, RPM, fuel consumption rate, and the position of throttle,
brakes, cruise control, and clutch – the data needed to determine
what may have been going on (in the instance of an accident).
Here are some questions you’d want to consider – especially in light
of Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) regulations – after a hardbrake event:
1. What happens to my Unsafe Driving CSA score? If a number of hard
brakes occur in a short amount of time, a driver may be following
too closely. This could also lead to reckless driving citations. Insight
into braking can be vital in identifying drivers that may be unsafe.
2. What happens to my Cargo Related score? The load you were
carrying likely shifted. If carrying fragile cargo, like a case of vintage
wine, the loss of the cargo can be significant. Beyond the loss,
cargo-related CSA scores may be impacted. Failure to prevent cargo
shifting, failure to secure cargo, and damaged securement system/
tie downs – are all things that can happen from an extreme brake
event…..and they all have a high CSA-point potential.
3. What is happening to the maintenance of my truck? Locking up
brakes is hard on trucks. Tires can be damaged, engine wear is hard
and the overall life of a truck can be shortened.
4. If I were in an accident, what can I learn? Dealing with injuries,
claims and potential lawsuits are huge problems. Black-box
reporting can give you proof of a driver’s safe driving before an
accident (e.g. braking, speed, RPM, throttle position).
5. Am I dispatching in unsafe environments? Rapid accelerations can
mean a truck is in wet, snowy, or muddy conditions.
How can hard-brake reports work with drivers that are aggressive with
their use of brakes? By incentivizing drivers with the fewest number
of these types of events you will have a safer drive and a potentially
better BASIC score. Hard-brake events are often one of the first
measures examined by a plaintiff’s attorney when settling an incident.
Constantly monitoring, measuring and improving your company’s hard
brake metrics will help make sure you have the maximum protection
for you and your customers.
For more information contact us at 1-888-736-4485.
05/29/12 AB-2396
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