Six things every safety manager needs to know about safety incentive programs

Fleets walk a tightrope between driver shortages and increased safety concerns from safety managers and fleet safety directors. Safety incentive programs provide the perfect solution for reducing incidents and rewarding drivers. But how can safety managers gauge how their drivers are performing, and then either coach or reward them appropriately?

One of our clients has had success using SureCam to run a quarterly incentive program based on a simple driver scorecard.  The driver with the best score at the end of the quarter is awarded a  bonus. What type of Safety Incentive Program would work best for your fleet? Here are 6 things that every safety manager needs to know before rolling out a new Safety Incentive Program.

1. Safety incentive programs are good for drivers

Safety incentive programs, or driver safety programs, give fleet safety directors a way to recognize and reward safe driving. Having a formal safety incentive program tells drivers exactly how they will be evaluated and eliminates the guessing game. It also helps make sure that recognition is fair, and that rewards are distributed evenly based on merit. 

2. Rewarding positive driving is just as important as coaching after negative incidents

Driver buy-in is key for any new program to succeed. The problem that many fleets experience when they roll out new safety programs is that drivers feel like they are being put in the hot seat. Without a driver safety incentive program in your fleet, it can be easy to fall into a habit of only acknowledging when things go wrong, instead of recognizing your drivers when they are doing the right things. Recognizing your drivers who do the right things is one way to make a safety program more attractive. 

3. Fleet cameras make measuring driver performance easier than ever 

SureCam’s network-connected cameras and safety technology make it easy to gauge the performance of your drivers. With SureCam, you receive incident video and driving data in real-time –instantly, from the scene. We work with clients to customize each camera’s configurations to provide visibility into incidents they care about. Using a camera solution can also provide you with analytics and reporting, including speed, tracking and g-force data to inform your driver coaching and safety incentive program.

4. You don’t need a sophisticated driver scorecard system to start an incentive program

The best driver incentive program is the one you can implement. You don’t need a sophisticated driver scorecard to get started. Identify a few key things that you can measure with the tools you already have and start rewarding for those things. As your business grows and you have access to more data, you can add on to the program. Ask about SureCam’s automated Driver Safety Scorecard.

5. Have clear guidelines and program timelines 

A safety incentive program won’t do your fleet much good if your drivers don’t know about it. Make sure that you clearly outline what you will be tracking and how each driver will be evaluated. Tell your drivers what incentives they are eligible for and make sure they know how often you will be rewarding them. It’s important to keep your program as transparent as possible; after all, you want your drivers to feel that the program is fair and that it will benefit them. 

6. Not all incentives have to be monetary — get creative and combine recognition with rewards

Your rewards need to be valuable enough that they will motivate your drivers. That doesn’t mean that you have to give out large amounts of cash, though. Sometimes rewards with a “trophy value” are actually more motivating than a monetary award. Your drivers work hard at their jobs but most of the time that goes unnoticed. Recognizing them among their peers is a great way to motivate your team and reward excellence. Trophies, plaques, letters of recognition, and special company apparel can also be valued prizes. Think about what things would motivate your drivers and then come up with a combination of monetary awards and other forms of recognition that fit your fleet, and your budget.