As asked in last week’s blog, what is normal? While dealing with schedule changes, load changes and route changes, drivers are continually asked to do more and remain vigilant in every detail of their complicated job.

That’s why it’s more important than ever to ensure drivers stay focused and not distracted when on the road – or during deliveries. Remember, it only takes a second to cause an injury – or a fatality. Driving is a skill that requires full attention and involves constant and complex coordination between mind and body. That’s why not all distractions are alike, nor do they impact drivers in the same way.

Video is the best way to know if a driver is distracted. It’s also the best way to correct the behavior before it becomes a collision. When reviewing video – and discussing distractions – with your drivers, it’s important to keep in mind the three types of distractions:

• Manual distractions are those where you move your hands from the wheel.
• Visual distractions are those where you focus your eyes away from the road.
• A cognitive distraction is when your mind wanders away from the task of driving.  

Which type of distraction did your driver exhibit? Does your driver have a habit of moving his/her hands from the wheel or losing focus? Or was this a one-time event? When did it happen? Where? Most importantly, why? All of these are important considerations when coaching your driver.

Distractions don’t have to happen in your fleet.

Using computer vision-based algorithms and a purpose-built sensor, SmartDrive for Inattentive Driving (SSID) is the latest technology from SmartDrive to help you ensure a safer fleet. By identifying and eliminating the most dangerous risks in your fleet — texting, drowsiness, inattentive driving and eyes off the road – SSID prevents inattention before it becomes a collision by:

• Immediately alerting your driver at the high-risk moment.
• Offloading video for review so you can coach and avoid this behavior in the future.

With advanced technology, you have immediate access to the data you need to coach distracted driving out of your fleet. And a method to bring normalcy into your drivers’ lives.

Learn how you can eliminate distractions in your fleet with a video-based safety program by downloading our ebook 6 Hot Topics Driving the Need for Video. The time you spend seeing how the program will impact your fleet is worth the life you’ll save.

Coming up in next week’s blog post: Putting the power of ADAS to work for your fleet.