25 Jun Valuable tips from safest postal service drivers

Original content from https://safety.blr.com

Vehicle crashes are a top cause of workplace accidents and employer expense. If you’re looking for ways to keep your employees and fleet drivers safe, check out these ideas from drivers for the United States Postal Service (USPS). They are among thousands of USPS carriers who have each logged a million or more accident-free miles.

Here’s how a few of these “million-mile” safe drivers avoid accidents on the road. You may wish to share their strategies with employees and drivers at your place of business.

• A New York City carrier (34 safe years) checks her vehicle thoroughly before hitting the road each day. She identifies and reports needed repairs for lights, tires, wipers, and mirrors, and then she makes sure the repairs are completed as soon as possible.
• An Ohio Postal Service driver (35 safe years) slows down on the parts of her route where traffic is heavy and caution is required. She also routinely uses her turn signals in parking lots.
• A South Carolina driver (33 safe years) believes that being courteous is the key to driving safely. He delivers to 452 rural mailboxes along nearly 100 miles of highway and 35 miles of dirt roads.

Candidates for postal service driving positions must pass through an extensive interview process and must take a defensive driving training course. They become familiar with their vehicles by training on a mock course that simulates street conditions.

Here are a few more tips for safe driving:

• Beware of blind spots. Adjust your mirrors properly, and remember to check your blind spots when changing lanes. Also be aware of where other drivers’s blind spots might be located and avoid driving there.
• Know your vehicle. Become familiar with the way it handles, where the controls are located, turn radius, stopping distance in different situations, and more.
• Avoid driving distracted. Don’t try to multitask by applying makeup, reading the newspaper, making phone calls, eating, or text messaging while you drive. Pay attention to the road ahead of you.
• Use extra caution at night. If you must drive at night, drive extra defensively and pay careful attention to other drivers around you, watching for signs that they may be intoxicated or drowsy (e.g., drifting across lanes). If you become drowsy yourself, pull over and take a brief nap to increase alertness.