Check driver’s licences and abstracts and assess skills
This month’s road safety goal is to confirm employees who drive for work are legally authorized to do so, and have the needed driving knowledge, skills, and behaviours. Choose one or more of the following activities to help you reach that goal, using the recommended resources.
The basics
These activities can help you focus on high-priority risks and basic compliance requirements.
- Make sure each employee’s licence is current and the right class for the vehicle(s) they drive.
- Review their driver’s abstract for penalty points, prohibitions, and suspensions. Decide what you will do if drivers exceed your company’s thresholds: Check driver’s licence and record
- Provide a thorough driver safety orientation before a worker starts a new job or is assigned new driving responsibilities: Driver Orientation Checklist
Better steps
Build on the basics with activities that strengthen your road safety practices and results.
- Set a schedule for assessing employee driving skills. We recommend doing it at time of hire, and then every 2 or 3 years. Make this a policy: Driver Assessment Procedure Template
- Complete our online course to learn how to evaluate drivers and help them become safer behind the wheel: Assessing and Improving Employee Driving Skills Online Course
- Pair experienced drivers with less experienced ones for peer mentoring.
Best practices
Take it further with activities that help you maintain strong performance and a lasting safety culture.
- Assign a supervisor to complete our SkillCheck workshop. Once they have done that, have them start with 3 ride-along assessments and meet with the employees to discuss the results: SkillCheck workshop
- Use our guide, form, and videos to conduct ride-along assessments with all employees who drive for work: SkillCheck Driver Assessment Tool
- Watch our one-hour webinar explaining reasons behind unsafe driving, the traits of safe drivers, and the tools and methods you can use to improve driver behaviours. Then use the information to build a training plan(s) for your employees: Steering Toward Safe Driving Behaviours Webinar
- Incorporate driver’s licence and abstract information into your annual performance review for employees who drive.
How to add Planner activities to your calendar
You can download Road Safety Planner activities and links directly into your Outlook or other calendar. They will be entered in the first week of the month, regardless of when you download them.
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