REDUCE CRASHES.
LOWER COSTS.
MAINTAIN COMPLIANCE.

With more than 11,500 drivers, National Grid, understands how critical it is to invest in the safety of each and every employee. The gas and electric utility company, which covers Massachusetts, Rhode Island, parts of New Hampshire and all of New York state, relies on Smith System training to make sure that all of its drivers have the best tools to handle whatever occurs when they’re behind the wheel. “We started using Smith System in 2008,” says Samantha Murray, Vehicle Safety Manager at National Grid. “It started in gas operations, but we received such great feedback on it that we made it part of our policy.” In 2014, the company implemented a Safe Motor Vehicle Operations Policy that made driver safety training part of its requirements. “Our drivers liked the training from the very beginning,” Murray says. “It’s now something that everyone in our company participates in, from field employees to executives. It’s been very beneficial.”

We’ve all had those moments behind the wheel; maybe it’s after a long day of work or perhaps it happens after sitting in traffic for too long. But at some point, we have all felt aggravated by other drivers on the road. We’ve wanted to react aggressively, and we may have actually lashed out. Even though the term “road rage” is relatively new, incidents of aggressive driving and anger behind the wheel have been around almost as long as the automobile itself. And, while the vehicles we drive have become safer and the roads we drive on have been greatly improved, the way we’re behaving on those roads has become more dangerous. In fact, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that in a single year, nearly 80% of drivers admit to having feelings of anger and exhibiting some sort of aggressive behavior behind the wheel. When traffic and bad tempers collide, the situation can escalate quickly. In too many cases, they can turn dangerous — and even deadly.

Technology can change the way fleets are managed and how drivers communicate with their managers. Now, it has the potential to change the way drivers see the road. As more advancements are made in the areas of augmented reality, autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence, both safety and efficiency are being transformed for drivers and safety managers. Several innovations in 2018 set the stage for this year, which could bring even greater changes both behind the wheel and behind the desk. Here’s a look at six driver safety trends that will play pivotal roles for driver safety professionals in 2019.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), motor vehicle crashes are responsible for more than 40% of work-related deaths in the oil and gas industry. That’s concerning, especially since the oil and gas industry already is known for having some of the most dangerous jobs in the world and has a workplace fatality rate that is eight times higher than the national average.