Combating Road Accident Fatalities with Robust Automated Employee Transportation

Across the globe today, especially in developing Asian countries like India, roads are suffocating with traffic congestion. There’s a critical need to reduce the number of vehicles for road safety and the sustainability of resources. Most of this traffic congestion peaks during the commute hours of the office-going people. Since almost 60% of employees use their vehicles, the overall vehicle intake capacity of the roads crashes and leads to accidents, jams, and delays.

Another reason is when employees work day in and out in the office, they get tired and usually feel sleepy with the constant pressure of making it to the office & home on time. This distracts them from driving fast and end up being more accident-prone.

In cases like these, employers at the workplace should take some steps to bring up solutions to this ever-growing problem of safe commutes for employees. A major step in this direction is the adoption of employee transportation solutions in their organization for the safety and comfort of their employees. It will not only benefit the traffic-tormented day shift employees but also the female employees commuting in night shifts. A certain percentage of accidents can be avoided using this solution but there are a lot of other things that drivers should keep in mind to minimize the possibility. Distracted driving, sudden lane changes, and over-speeding are some major causes of accidents.

Many other causes contribute to road fatalities, which can be grouped into two major reasons:

Commuters’ Fault

Over-speeding :

Driving a vehicle above a certain speed limit in certain area leads to higher chances of road accidents. Over-speeding in residential areas, outside school premises, and near hospitals, temples, market marketplaces can be fatal.

Drunk driving :

Approx. 28% of road accidents happen due to drug or alcohol-influenced driving.

Red light jumping :

Those driving at high speeds are unable to stop at a red light even after trying. This leads them to cause side-impact and rollover collisions putting others in danger.

Wrong side driving :

Entering the wrong side of the road not only can be deadly to the driver but also distracts others leading to accidents.

Avoiding safety gear like seat belts and helmets :

In the absence of seat belts, front and rear passengers can be ejected from their seats in a high-impact collision, leading to severe facial, head, spine, and thoracic injuries.

Mobile phones :

These have been one of the major reasons for road accidents. Calls distract the driver and he loses focus on driving leading to severe accidents.

Non-adherence to pedestrian paths :

Drivers cannot be blamed completely in each case; people taking pedestrian paths should cross the road carefully and use subways to avoid accidents.

Government’s Fault :

This group of causes primarily ensues due to the absence of adequate Infrastructure such as –

Absence of street lights :

The absence of street lights hinders the driver’s vision and he may unknowingly hit the people or animals crossing the road.

Potholes :

Potholes formed by heavy vehicles are quite deep and mostly not visible to the drivers. So if the vehicle is speeding it is sure to face heavy jerks and may lead to a collision.

High response time to accident victims :

After an accident has occurred, and informed to police, the NHAI van takes much longer to reach the spot, reducing the survival chances of the victim.

Few Steps to Prevent Road Accidents

1. Mandatory, cautionary, and informative road signs must be followed thoroughly.

2. One should always drive at the prescribed speed limit.

3. Drinking must strictly be avoided before and during driving.

4. One should always put on safety equipment like helmets, seat belts, etc.

5. Never use mobile phones or earphones while driving.

6. Do not drive for long hours in a stretch. The break must be taken after every 2 hours of continuous driving.

7. Minors should not be handed vehicles before they get a license.

8. When a driver dangerously tailgates another driver at high speeds, he loses control and is unable to stop suddenly which results in fatal accidents. This kind of situation must be completely avoided.

9. Night driving must be avoided as far as possible, similarly, sharp turns and animal crossing should also be taken care of.

10. Vehicle service maintenance should be given utmost priority as loose brakes or imbalanced alignment can make the vehicle go out of control.

Conclusion

The final and most crucial pieces of any road transportation system are the vehicles and their drivers. A lot of instructions and safety guidelines have been mentioned about the driver but with a little technical interference, we can reduce the risk at the vehicle end too. By adopting an automated employee transportation solution, companies can ensure fewer vehicles on the road, fewer chances of accidents, and a lower carbon footprint.

Asti Infotech’s AFM is one of its kind employee transport automation solution that informs employers and managers about the transit situation through GPS algorithms in real time.

It comes with a robust feedback system that sends alerts about unusual driving patterns and hence helps in controlling the driving behavior thereby ensuring a safer commute for employees.

Optimized transport, better management, and simplified operations can increase productivity and efficiency manifold.

The numerous benefits that an advanced employee transport automation solution like AFM offers encourage employers to adopt this employee-friendly solution and hence reduce the number of vehicles commuting on the road. This will in turn lead to fewer accidents and safer drives. More information about AFM and its role in ensuring a secure commute for employees can be obtained at https://www.astiinfotech.com/fleet-management.

FAQs

1. Is employee vehicle tracking legal?

Yes, employee vehicle tracking is legal as long as the company informs employees that their vehicles are being tracked and the purpose of tracking is for business purposes.

2. Can employees opt out of employee vehicle tracking?

It depends on company policy and local laws. Some companies may allow employees to opt out, while others may require all company vehicles to be tracked.

3. Is employee vehicle tracking accurate?

Yes, employee vehicle tracking is highly accurate when using GPS technology and a reliable network connection.

4. Can employee vehicle tracking data be used as evidence in legal proceedings?

Yes, in some cases employee vehicle tracking data can be used as evidence in legal proceedings, such as disputes over employee timekeeping or accidents involving company vehicles.