Commercial fleet and driver safety highlights

The behavior of commercial vehicle drivers in California and other states can have a big impact on how safe the roads are for other motorists and truck drivers. This is why a fleet management systems provider has reviewed driving behaviors of more than 6,000 of its fleet customers. It focused on small and midsize businesses with 2 to 200 trucks.

The management systems provider considered several different factors related to commercial trucks, including average speeding events per day and mile as well as fatalities per vehicle miles traveled. Based on these criteria, the safest area for fleet drivers is within the East Coast, even with the infamous I-95 corridor and other common "problem" areas. Virginia, Washington and New Hampshire are among the states that ranked as the safest places for commercial fleet operators. The most dangerous states were in the South and Midwest with Oklahoma and Texas topping the list.

Commercial vehicle drivers in Virginia and Connecticut were less likely to be speeding while getting from point A to point B. But drivers in South Dakota had the most frequent cases of "lead foot," followed by fleet drivers in North Dakota and Montana. Another fleet management systems provider asked truck drivers to identify their top safety concerns. Passenger drivers cutting off trucks, the need for sufficient space between trucks and other vehicles, and a lack of proper turn signal use were among the top concerns mentioned. Some truck drivers also expressed concerns about texting, other distractions and driver fatigue.

Should personal injuries be experienced as a result of a commercial fleet driver's negligence, a truck collision attorney may pursue a case against the at-fault driver. It's also possible for a commercial fleet company to be considered a responsible party if they failed to screen a negligent driver or properly discipline a truck driver involved with previous incidents while on the job.