Back to Driving Basics in COVID-19 Times

One company (Zendrive) analyzed the behavioral data from five weeks prior to the first stay-in-place order (Feb 6 – March 15) and compared it with the data generated over the course of the next five weeks— a time frame in which most of the lockdowns were announced (March 16 – April 19). What they found was a 27 percent increase in speeding, 38 percent increase in phone usage and 25 percent increase in hard braking. Citations for speeding over 100 mph saw an 87% spike in California between March and April. Citations in Iowa and Nebraska increased by over 60% for the same reckless behavior.

And while times have moderated since April, with most traffic returning to more normal paces and more drivers not feeling as out of sorts, it presents itself as a good reminder of the basics in good driving.

Reasons NOT to Speed

Speeding does not save as much time as one would hope and only increases the danger to others.

Speeding robs you of reaction time when unexpected, unplanned things happen.

Take time to slow down when conditions threaten to make it even harder to react and avoid problem situations.

Most people drive too fast on the high

way. Many drivers ignore the speed limit and drive 10, 20, and even 30 mph over the limit. Speeding kills and traveling above the speed limit is an easy way to cause a crash.

The faster you drive, the slower your reaction time will be, if you need to avoid or prevent a motor vehicle accident.

Fines: Speeding fines are steep. If caught speeding your insurance rates will go up.

Fuel Economy: The faster you drive the more fuel your vehicle consumes. Damage to your vehicle: The faster you drive, the more wear and tear you have on your vehicle.

Speeding is stressful: During these trying times, we don’t need to add any more stress to our lives.

Phone usage–Did you know:

At any given time, an estimated 660,000 drivers are using their cell phones while

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behind the wheel. 1.6 Million crashes each year are linked to cell phone use while driving.

Every day, at least 9 people are killed and over 1,000 people are injured due to a distracted driver. 25% of car accidents are caused by texting and driving.

Texting while driving is 6x more likely to cause a crash than drunk driving.

Cell phone use behind the wheel reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%.

Phone Usage Safety Suggestions

Do not use a cell phone while driving.

Complete any call or text before starting the car.

If you need to text or talk, pull over to a safe place.

It is a fact that taking your eyes off the road –even for a few seconds – could cost someone injury or even death. Set the “Do Not Disturb While Driving’ setting on your teens phone to automatically turn on when the car is in motion. This will prevent any incoming calls and texts from sounding or flashing an alert.

If urgent, use a hand’s free device like a Bluetooth headset or earpiece that allows you to talk while both hands remain on the wheel.

Hard Braking

Hard braking is a driver event when more force than normal is applied to the vehicle’s brake or accelerator. Some people may refer to this as ‘lead foot’ syndrome, and it can be an indicator of aggressive or unsafe driving. At the very least, this style of driving is wasteful and uneconomical.

Drivers who frequently brake hard as part of their driving routine are jeopardizing their own safety as well as others —and that is just the beginning. Not only is an established pattern of hard braking dangerous, increasing the likelihood of tickets and accidents, the fleet’s reputation is put at risk for unsafe driving citations and investigations by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

7 Tips for Preventing Driver’s Hard Braking

Tip #1: Set Some Ground Rules for Follow Distance, Speed, Etc. Establish firm rules for how closely your fleet’s vehicles can follow others and at what speeds. Tip #2: Use Training to Make Following the Rules Habitual. Reiterate the above rules by having drivers practice them in training whenever possible.

Tip #3: Keep Track of Which Drivers Have Incidents Behind the Wheel. By tracking incidents you can do a lot to deter the dangerous driving habits that lead to hard braking.

Tip #4: Use GPS Tracking Devices. This will allow you to be proactive. You can reach out to drivers and correct bad driving behaviors quickly.

Tip #5: Give Drivers Enough Time to Safely Reach Their Destinations. Arrange fleet timetables in a way that gives drivers some leeway on delivery times.

Tip #6: Consider Using Speed Limiting Devices.

Tip #7: Recognize and Reward Good Drivers.

This article is courtesy of information compiled by Crum & Forster. This material is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be a representation of coverage that may exist in any particular situation under a policy issued by one of the companies within Crum & Forster.

Dog Attack Avoidance For Drivers

What are the warning signs of a dog getting ready to bite? Watch the dog’s body language. • Never rely on a dog’s tail to assess its state of mind. • A wagging tail merely means that the dog is willing to interact. • A dog that feels threatened will continue to wag its tail, but it will hold it lower and may wag it slower. • A wagging tail could be good or bad! Instead, take into account all aspects of the dog’s body language. • Be wary around any dog whose demeanor includes: • staring • dilated pupils • wide-legged or stiff stance • lowered head • piloerection (raised hair along neck, back, or tail) • bared teeth • growling • laid back ears • general stiffening of the body

Observe a dog showing any of the previously mentioned behaviors towards you, move slowly and quietly away from the dog keeping your side facing the dog and your eyes averted.

What should I do if I think a dog may attack?

• Never scream or run. Remain motionless, hands at your sides, and avoid eye contact with the dog. • Remain motionless with your hands at your sides until the dog loses interest in you, then slowly back away until he or she is out of sight. • If the dog does attack, “feed” it your jacket, purse, or anything that you can put between yourself and the dog. • If you fall or are knocked to the ground, curl into a ball with your hands over your face, neck, and ears and remain motionless. Try not to scream or roll around. • A good way for a delivery company

to reduce dog bites is to create a policy of not making deliveries to customers with uncontrolled dogs and to let the customer know this up front. With the high number of dogs that share our homes and neighborhoods, the Humane Society of the US (HSUS) believes everyone should be educated in dog behavior. People encounter dogs everywhere, including playgrounds, parks, on public sidewalks, parking lots, and on private property. It’s up to everyone to learn how to live around them safely and humanely.

This article is courtesy of information compiled by Crum & Forster. This material is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be a representation of coverage that may exist in any particular situation under a policy issued by one of the companies within Crum & Forster.

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