Summer auto accident prevention: tips and resources to share with your clients now

Help your clients avoid these common, costly claims.

Summer is quickly approaching, and with it comes an inevitable increase in motor vehicle accidents. Considering increased traffic due to vacations and deteriorating roads across the U.S., this time of year presents the perfect opportunity for you to provide vehicle accident avoidance education to your clients and help them be proactive, rather than reactive.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), summer - particularly July and August – along with early fall—are the most dangerous times of year to be on the road. Weekends are also deadlier than weekdays.

If you have diverse clients from different sectors, they’re likely to use a variety of commercially owned, hired and unowned vehicles. Clients’ fleets may consist of an owned vehicle, such as a fire truck, a hired vehicle, such as a rental car and/or an unowned vehicle that belongs to a home health aide, for example. The vehicle types may vary, but the risks are similar. 

While summertime presents an opportunity for education due to increased accidents, auto accidents are, in general, a large source of claims across the commercial insurance industry year-round. “For insurance companies that provide auto coverage as part of their product lines, auto accidents are usually one of their top causes of loss, if not number one, from a frequency and severity standpoint,” said Matthew Olphin (CPCU, CSP, ARM), Director of Client Risk Solutions for Glatfelter Public Entities and Glatfelter Ministry Care. According to the IIHS, there were an average of 106 fatalities per day over a 17-year period when the study was conducted.

Some possible reasons for commercial vehicle accidents include:

• Offensive driving
• Distracted driving
• Speeding
• Backing up/reversing

Now that you know the “why” and the “how,” you can provide your clients with 5 quick tips to avoid auto accidents below. As an insurance agent, you likely know that repetition is key to gaining customer recall. Share these 5 tips regularly on social media, in client meetings and using any other outlets you have to help your clients boost their safety.

Your clients should be encouraged to:

1. Develop a fleet safety culture – Did you know that transportation incidents are the leading cause of work-related deaths at 38%? A culture of safety should always start at the top of the organization with senior management. Companies need to take steps to make safe driving a key area of focus and an integral part of safety culture. Employee safety should be prioritized above production.
2. Develop a fleet safety program –A formal fleet safety program establishes policies and procedures to help ensure a safe work environment. Without a fleet safety program, your client could be putting their employees at risk. Enact this program to address all facets of safe driving, from selecting qualified drivers, to providing employees with driver training, and from investigating and reviewing collisions to making sure the vehicles are fit for the road. The application of this program will vary from small to large insureds. For more tips on developing a fleet safety strategy to share with clients, visit Rand McNally’s website.
3. Provide defensive driving and distracted driver training – Companies should provide basic defensive driver and distracted driver training to their employees on a regular basis.
4. Educate associates that speed kills – Advise your clients to tell their associates to slow down and plan accordingly so they’re not in a rush. Encourage them to give themselves more time than needed for travel by leaving earlier and planning ahead. Speed is a factor that can make car accidents much more dangerous. In fact, speeding was a contributing factor in 29% of all traffic fatalities in 2021, killing an average of 33 people per day. The higher the speed, the greater the risk.
5. Discourage backing out – Clients should train their employees to avoid putting themselves in positions where they will need to back out in their vehicle when they leave their destination. This means pulling through to the next spot when possible and parking further away from the entrance to give yourself a better chance of being in a position where you can pull through.

Here are 10 resources you can provide your clients to help them mitigate motor vehicle accident risks:

1. Glatfelter Passenger Van Transportation Safety PDF
2. Glatfelter “Drive Safe” training video that can be ordered via the form listed (free for clients)
3. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) vehicle safety rating database
4. Glatfelter Paratransit Vehicle Inspection Guide PDF
5. Glatfelter Distracted Driving Facts PDF
6. Glatfelter School Bus Rider Safety Tips for Students PDF
7. Glatfelter Driving Distracted PDF
8. Glatfelter Vehicle Fleet Risk Control for Religious Organizations PDF
9. Glatfelter Motor Vehicle Accidents: How Costly Are They? PDF
10. Glatfelter Cell Phone Use Sample Policy PDF

Never underestimate your power to educate your clients on the risks and causes of motor vehicle accidents, as well as tips and resources to help prevent them. The forethought and knowledge you have because of being an agent can be helpful in so many ways. What are some of your favorite supportive resources to share with clients? Leave a comment below!