Updated Feb 11, 2025
In today's competitive landscape, maintaining a strong safety culture is essential for contractors and fleet operators. Without a solid safety record, meeting client requirements, securing new contracts, and expanding your business becomes increasingly difficult.
A strong safety record can differentiate your business from competitors when bidding on projects, because it shows reliability, professionalism, and a commitment to reducing risks on job sites and public roads. By investing in safety policies, technologies, and strategies, companies can protect their employees, reduce risks and support long-term business growth.
Conversely, businesses with poor safety records may face disqualification from bids, reputational damage, and financial losses.
Fleet safety solutions, like driver scorecards and telematics systems, help contractors watch and improve safety across operations. By adopting construction safety technologies, contractors can improve driver behavior and optimize vehicle performance. This results in:
- Fewer accidents
- Lower insurance costs
- Less lawsuits and wrongful claims
- Better chances of winning new contracts
- More business growth
Understanding Driver Safety as a Critical Piece of Fleet Safety Programs
Driver behavior is one of the most significant factors affecting fleet safety. Unsafe behaviors like speeding, distracted driving, harsh braking, and not wearing seatbelts can cause accidents. These actions can lead to:
- Injuries and harmed drivers and vehicles
- Lost time from accidents
- High repair and insurance costs
- Damaged company reputation
- And more
For businesses with on-road vehicles, these risks magnify, especially when drivers operate both on and off job sites.
Additionally, ensuring the safety of drivers isn't just a legal requirement—it is a moral and operational imperative. Keeping your drivers safe not only helps protect them physically but also helps protect their mental health, as well as lowers the risk for others on the road.
But how can you know whether your drivers are operating safely when your eyes are not on them? A lot of technology exists to improve construction safety. This blog post will teach you how driver scorecards can improve your fleet safety program.
What are Driver Scorecards?
Driver scorecards collect and analyze data on various driving behaviors, providing valuable insights for fleet managers. This data comes from telematics devices and sensors in fleet vehicles, such as Tenna’s GPS fleet tracker. These trackers enable visibility into driver performance.
Key metrics typically include:
- Speeding incidents
- Harsh braking
- Rapid acceleration
- Sharp cornering
- Seatbelt usage
- Idling time
How? Telematics systems send data from vehicles to a central management system. This visibility helps managers quickly identify unsafe behaviors and intervene with driver coaching solutions.
But the real safety ROI comes into play when contractors combine telematics with driver scorecards. Here, companies can create data-driven fleet safety programs that are both measurable and actionable.
Benefits of Implementing Driver Scorecards
By prioritizing safety, contractors can protect employees, reduce risks, and enhance their company's reputation in the marketplace.
Here are just a few of the big benefits construction businesses using driver scorecards have seen.
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Improving Fleet Safety Program and Reducing Incidents
Driver scorecards help identify high-risk behaviors and provide an opportunity for early intervention through driver coaching. By addressing unsafe driving habits, companies can reduce accidents, near-misses, and traffic violations. Over time, this leads to a stronger overall safety record and improved operational reliability.
GS Construction, a pipeline and municipal contractor in Atlanta, implemented driver scorecards. The company can now find risky drivers and reward employees with good driving habits. As a result, it has seen significant improvements in fleet performance and safety.
This ultimately helps businesses win more bids. Plus, by fostering a culture of safety within your organization, you’re contributing to the overall safety of public roads.
Cost Savings from Improved Driving Habits
Safer driving habits contribute to lower operating costs. Fewer harsh brakes, aggressive accelerations, and long idling times lead to less wear on vehicles. This also means lower fuel use and fewer maintenance needs.
Additionally, fewer accidents can lead to lower insurance premiums and claims. Like fleet dash cams, driver scorecards help safety managers enforce safety rules. This protects companies from expensive damage that can affect the bottom line.
Improved driver performance (and fewer accidents) can also result in lower insurance premiums and fewer claims. Insurance providers, such as Zurich, may give discounts to companies that show a strong commitment to building a strong fleet safety program, and the use of tools like driver scorecards to help prove this.
Accountability and Motivation Through Performance Scores
Driver scorecards also promote accountability among your drivers. By assigning performance scores based on driving data, drivers are more likely to improve their habits. They know someone is monitoring behavior and evaluating their performance.
Fleet managers can enhance driver motivation to improve performance by introducing incentives, such as bonuses or rewards, for achieving high safety scores.
How to Strengthen Safety Culture with Driver Accountability
Driver scorecards should be part of construction companies' holistic approach to driver safety. This includes using data collected to identify and manage risk factors. By implementing, analyzing, and coaching with driver scorecards, fleet managers can create a culture of accountability and safety.
Look for a provider that offers customization of your driver scorecards.
Setting Safety Goals with Customized Metrics
To get the best results from driver scorecards, companies should set clear safety goals. They should also customize scorecard metrics to match these goals. For example, if speeding is a major concern, managers can prioritize metrics that track and penalize speeding incidents.
Look for a provider that offers real-time access to data and reporting tools.
Continuous Monitoring and Data Analyzing
Driver scorecards provide ongoing data collection, enabling fleet managers to monitor safety trends and identify emerging risks. Regularly analyzing data helps find ongoing problems and allows for quick actions, like coaching sessions or changing policies.
Look for a provider that offers access to driver coaching solutions to enhance your safety program.
Providing Feedback and Offering Training
Scorecard data should be used to provide drivers with constructive feedback. Regular performance reviews give drivers insights into their behaviors and areas for improvement. Tailored training programs based on scorecard data can further reinforce safe driving practices.
Creating Incentive Programs for Safe Driving
Incentive programs can motivate drivers to adopt safer habits by rewarding high performance. Rewards could include recognition in company meetings, financial bonuses, or additional time off. Friendly competition between teams or locations can also encourage drivers to improve their safety scores.
To improve your fleet safety and protect your drivers, contact us today. We can show you how our fleet safety solutions can help your business and just how integral driver scorecards can be in achieving your safety goals. Want to see how you can build a custom driver scorecard? Block time with us today.
