A high or increasing cost of claims leads to additional costs and is detrimental to road safety. Frequent arguments Include higher rates of inexperienced drivers and increased obstacles in the service area. But how is it possible that one company has to deal with an increasing cost of claims and another one doesn’t, despite facing the same challenges? Our gribb consultants visit many companies and have drawn an important conclusion: safe driving behaviour is largely the result of the company culture. In this blog we tell you more about why one company has a lower claims cost than another company.
Onboarding processes and driver assistance systems
Vehicles have more and more safety systems that help prevent damage and accidents, but ultimately the vehicles are driven by people. That is why it is important to begin with a good onboarding process where safety systems, traffic insights, and safe driving are thoroughly explained. Nobody does damage on purpose, but with the right mindset you can prevent damage.
Data and apps for a lower claims cost
Safety systems not only help with a safer driving style, but are also a source of data that provides insight into driving behaviour. By measuring this data properly and enriching it with other relevant data, such as weather and information about the roads, you know exactly what you need to act on. The enriched data is also used in the drivers app to reward drivers for safe driving or coach them in certain areas where improvements can be made. For example, how to accelerate safely, brake with insight into traffic, and negotiate bends without extra wear and tear.
Culture
But one of the most important aspects of safe driving remains culture. “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”; you can define everything in procedures, but if it is not supported by the entire organisation, it will not be acted upon. If you really want safe and responsible driving behaviour to be embedded in the DNA of your company, you must continue to communicate this and act accordingly. It is of course no surprise that driving under time pressure causes stress for the driver and increases the risk of damage or a collision with a vulnerable road user. Route optimisation software is often right, but can also cause work pressure for the drivers. Create a culture where your drivers are heard and their input is valued.
Road safety marketing for a lower claims cost
To make safe and responsible driving behaviour part of a company’s culture, gribb developed road safety marketing- a series of internal marketing campaigns to continuously promote road safety and emphasise that safe and responsible driving is part of the company culture. Practice what you preach and eliminate time pressure on drivers, listen to their input and show that their input is also converted into actions. Road safety does not happen by accident.
Would you like to know more about road safety marketing or would you like to see a few examples? Our office in Baarn, the Netherlands is our test lab, and we are happy to show you the possibilities. Contact us and we will call you to make an appointment.
