What exactly constitutes a high-risk driver? According to Rick Geller, national manager of safety and training services with Markel Insurance, “The way we define a high-risk driver, is someone who consistently engages in safety-averse behaviour that increases the probability of a crash.”

Safety-averse behaviour includes actions such as speeding, tailgating, lane-hopping and running red lights, Geller explains.

He also says fleets should be wary of drivers that refuse to accept responsibility for their actions and those who delay reporting violations and incidents to their carrier.

Geller said fleets should draw on every possible source of information to identify high-risk drivers, including: driver abstracts (which should be checked twice per year); carrier profiles; electronic on-board recording devices; ECM downloads; violation notices; public complaints; and maintenance records.

He also notes high-risk drivers all have one thing in common – they think they’re great drivers. •