It takes real finesse to manage a modern fleet properly and smoothly. That includes keeping costs down, keeping assets on the road, minimising accidents, and ensuring employee health and safety.

But part of that is ensuring your fleet drivers know what to do in an accident. Collisions are never 100% preventable — so your drivers, as personal representatives of your company, must be equipped to handle the aftermath well.  

In this blog, we’ll share some key things your drivers should do after an accident, and how SurePlan’s accident management expertise can be a valuable part of the picture.

Learn all you need to know about Accident Management here. 

1. Stay calm, and stay on the scene to talk to the right parties 

As soon as an accident occurs, your drivers should react simply: stay on the scene and stay calm. 

Drivers should stay where the collision took place, unless the police instruct them to move or the vehicles’ position endangers oncoming traffic. Second, remaining calm is key. Fleet drivers should compose themselves and remember there’s a procedure to follow, even if the other involved party is angry or emotional.

When fleet drivers stay in place and remain calm post-crash, they can accurately share details with the police and gather key info from the other driver. This helps avoid legal and admin trouble for your company. 

2. Seek medical help if necessary

Unfortunately, crashes can cause injuries, some very serious. If anyone is hurt, your driver should contact emergency services right away. 

Not all injuries are obvious. Even if nobody involved in the crash is disoriented, bleeding, or immobile, getting proper medical attention is important to ensure all parties involved are well.

Your drivers shouldn’t assist with other injured parties unless your company has certifiably trained and equipped them in first aid techniques.

3. Identify other parties and get info from witnesses

Your fleet drivers are invaluable sources of data, and accurately collecting records is crucial. 

Fleet drivers should get the name, address, phone number, drivers’ license number and insurance information of the other driver in the collision. The names and phone numbers of any witnesses should be collected as well. To limit your company’s legal exposure, your drivers should restrict conversations to just those necessary details. 

4. Know who to contact — fleet managers and accident management reps

Drivers should be instructed to report an incident to the fleet manager (whether that’s you or one of your colleagues) right away. They should also call your company’s accident management representatives, as this makes the whole operation run much smoother.

If SurePlan is your accident management partner, as soon as your driver calls us, we’ll gather essential details with our electronic claim form (ECF). We will then connect them to a live person who will ensure the well-being of your driver and any passengers, and then begin an assessment of vehicle damage. 

At SurePlan, we ensure detailed incident reporting and quickly arrange for the most cost-effective vehicle towing, repair, and replacement. 

5. Document the damage

Aside from exchanging contact, insurance and license info with the other driver, your fleet drivers should document the accident carefully. Photos, especially, can serve as powerful evidence of exactly what happened. 

Your drivers should use a smartphone or camera to take clear, high-resolution pictures of the vehicles from every angle. Also important are wide shots that include the road, traffic signs, and other present vehicles for context, as well as pictures of any major injuries.

6. Use SurePlan’s assistance to reduce accident rates

With road incidents, the admin fallout and costs can be huge. But with SurePlan, you have a fast track to lower accident rates, giving you greater confidence in your fleet, day or night. 

For one, we can help improve your current fleet policy. By reviewing safety practices and ensuring your drivers are properly trained, we can help you implement a policy that strictly enforces safe driving and keeps your employees accountable.

Second, we offer state-of-the-art reporting and tracking technologies that can alert you to vehicle condition and risky driver behaviours well before they contribute to incidents. We’re continually developing cloud-enabled tools that give you more visibility and control of the fleet. 

And finally, SurePlan offers comprehensive driver training which upskills drivers of all experience levels in the risks of the road. Combined with an updated policy, the training reduces accidents, keeps employees safe, and helps to embed a safety culture within your company. 

When accidents happen, make sure your drivers aren’t left in the dark. Empowered fleet drivers can be valuable partners in preventing crashes and reducing costs. Give them the instructions we’ve suggested here, and your fleet will be stronger and more secure for it.

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