Top Highway Driving Safety Tips

No matter your industry, your drivers likely use the highway to travel between their homes and your jobs. While most drivers are used to traveling along the highway, it is often a more dangerous experience than many drivers realize. High speeds, long distances, and numerous distractions take thousands of lives every year. 

To keep your drivers safe as they travel on highways across the nation, it’s important to educate and equip your team. Use the tips below to prioritize highway safety in your fleet.

1. Drive defensibly

When you’re driving, the only actions you can control and anticipate are your own. Teach your drivers to remain aware of other drivers as they travel. By driving as if other vehicles will do something unexpected, they can stay prepared for quick action. Remind them to keep at least two seconds, if not four, of space between their vehicle and the one in front of them. Defensive driving will quickly become a life-saving habit.

2. Avoid distractions

Distracted driving kills more people than any other driving mistake. With the high speeds highway travel requires, distractions are even more deadly. Create and enforce strict policies about phone use during business trips. Remind your drivers to avoid eating, daydreaming, fiddling with the radio, and anything else that takes their attention from the road.

3. Don’t speed

When you are already traveling at high speeds, going a little bit faster doesn’t seem like a big deal. Even a few extra miles per hour, however, can lengthen braking distance and increase the severity of potential injuries. With telematics devices, you can monitor your drivers’ speeds and even limit the top speeds of your vehicles. With more time to react and stop in unexpected situations, your drivers will keep themselves and everyone else on the road safer.

4. Utilize safety features

Though it’s easy to take them for granted, seat belts, airbags, and other safety features are vitally important. Drivers should always take care to fasten their seat belt before putting the vehicle in drive. It’s also important to properly adjust mirrors so they function well and don’t cause distractions while driving. Most important, pay attention to regular maintenance schedules and any recalls. Protect your drivers by keeping their vehicles safe at all times.

Do you have any highway driving safety tips?