Driver-Monitoring Stickers Reduce Accidents And Losses

Do those stickers on trucks that ask about driving and give a toll-free number actually work?

"Yes," says a leading insurance company. The Hanover Insurance Company found a dramatic decrease in accidents and loss dollars when it tested such a program.

The program was tracked on 445 vehicles in 11 fleets for a year. The fleets varied by size and type and included both local and long-haul operators.

Accident frequency dropped to 18 accidents per 100 vehicles from 23 per hundred, a reduction of 22 percent. More striking, the company says, was the drop in loss dollars of 52 percent, despite 14 percent more vehicles in the fleets.

Based on the test, Hanover is encouraging use of the program throughout both Hanover and its sister company, Citizens Insurance Company of America.

While a 52 percent drop in loss dollars may be better than the norm, the test and subsequent experience with the program show that it definitely works, said Steve M. Miller, loss control manager for commercial auto insurance with Hanover. The program helps unsafe drivers modify their driving behavior, he says.

"Most commercial drivers are good drivers, but about 10 to 15% drive aggressively—tailgating, weaving in traffic and speeding," Miller said. That kind of driving causes severe crashes. And it's also the kind of driving that gets people annoyed enough to call the 800 number on the sticker.

Since many unsafe drivers realize they could get in trouble because of complaints or get hurt in a serious crash, they reduce or stop their aggressive driving, the company notes.

To get the best results, the insurance company can't just give its customers a program and leave it at that. "We work closely with our customers to implement the program, help them work with their drivers, and show management how to take corrective action," Miller said. "The driver-monitoring stickers should be part of an integrated fleet management program that incorporates sound safety, good driver-qualification procedures, ongoing maintenance and regulatory compliance."