4 Tips for Reducing Employees’ Motor Vehicle Accidents on the Job
If the nature of your business requires employees to drive on the job, you must do whatever is necessary to provide for their safety and the safety of others. Further, you’ll want to safeguard your business’s interests as well. Whether your business is located in a rural area or a metropolis, there are steps you can take to minimize the risks. Here you will find some tips that can help reduce employees’ automobile accidents on the job.
- Validate Driver’s Licenses
Whether you own only one or several service vehicles that are driven by your employees during work hours, be sure to validate the driver’s licenses of all employees who will be driving for you. You can generally do this through your local department of motor vehicles, and in most cases there is no charge.
Take this additional step at the time of hiring, even if the person’s driver’s license looks all right on the surface. The license might look active even if it’s not, or the person could have been involved in an incident that is still under investigation. Therefore, never agree to hire anyone until you have completed the validation of that person’s driver’s license. When you do, you will be protecting your business from unnecessary risks that could cost you thousands of dollars down the road.
- Require Safe Driving Courses
A potential employee could have an active driver’s license in good standing and still not know or understand all of the rules of the road. So don’t take risks, but instead insist that employees attend and pass a safe driving course.
These courses, available through a variety of sources, provide safety tips as well as education about the rules and regulations of driving on public streets and highways. The cost for tuition and the few hours the course will take out of an employee’s work schedule will more than pay for themselves over time, as they will ensure that all new hires understand every aspect of driving.
- Conduct Routine Drug Testing
With the increasing opioid epidemic, business owners can’t be too careful. While it’s pretty easy to tell if someone is under the influence of alcohol or marijuana on the job, other drugs can be easier to mask. The only solution is routine drug testing of potential new hires as well as current employees, especially those suspected of drug or alcohol abuse.
Some experts recommend random drug testing of current employees 2 to 3 times a year, but laws vary depending on where in the world your business is located, so consult an attorney before you proceed.
However, if you suspect that an employee has been driving your company’s vehicles while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you will be within your rights to request that they provide you with a urine sample for a drug test. Employees can legally refuse to comply, but if they do, you’ll know that the likelihood that they are under the influence is high. In that case, check with your attorney about the appropriate steps you can take in response.
- Hire an Attorney
Even if you take every possible precaution to prevent automobile accidents with your employees on the job, accidents can still happen. That’s why you should consider hiring an attorney who specializes in criminal law. This professional will assist you throughout the litigation process, helping to protect your assets from a lawsuit.
