Connecticut Chapter Discusses Issues Outside And Inside The Vehicles

What did they say about "the enemies without and within"? Both can be equally problematic, and on November 20, 2014, the Connecticut Chapter looked into two situations that directly affect fleet; one from the outside and one from the inside. And although "enemy" may sound too strong, having safety issues outside as well as inside your car certainly aren't things to strive for.

Meeting at the Metropolitan District Training Facility, 125 Maxim Road in Hartford, CT, 32 chapter members had the opportunity to think harder about both these sides. "It was a great mix of Fleet Managers and Affiliates," said NAFA Connecticut Vice Chair Bridget Clark.

Speaking from the external perspective, the day's first speaker stands as one of NAFA's most fervent envoys against the dangers of distracted driving. Phil Moser is Vice President for Advanced Driver Training Services (ADTS), lectures regularly on driver safety related issues, and has been featured as a driver safety expert on numerous broadcast programs, including Good Day Philadelphia (Fox-29) and CBS affiliate KYW-TV.

More pointedly, prior to joining ADTS, Phil was an accident investigation and reconstruction specialist with a suburban Philadelphia Police Department for 11 years. During his career, he has investigated approximately 3,500 motor vehicle crashes -- if anyone knows the damage and destruction inattentive driving can cause, it is him.

The hot topic for the day's session was texting, cellphones, and hands-free equipment in vehicles. Is hands-free any better or safer for our employees? Do you have a good policy in place, and is your company covered? Phil spoke of his experiences and had videos to help make his point, being, distraction matters. If it pulls you from being present in the activity of safe and engaged driving, it is a problem. For a company or organization, it could be a huge liability. For the individual, it could be life or death.

But what about the "knuckleheads" that are sharing the roads with your drivers? Very little can be done to make them put down their phones and focus, but a fully engaged driver has a greater ability to react to unforeseen events. And a driver can't be fully engaged if they're on phones and devices themselves.

That's the danger on the outside, but what about the inside? During the last several years, corrosion has had a significant impact on component and equipment life cycles. Failure to be proactive with specification and preventative maintenance programs can have devastating effects. How can you accurately analyze your fleet for life cycles as they are falling apart with unseen corrosion? Robert Hamilton, Directory of Fleet Maintenance at Bozzuto’s Inc., discussed the challenges he has faced and the critical changes he made in the battle against corrosion.

Bob discussed what to look for and what fleet and maintenance people can do about this problem.

"Both speakers engaged the audience," Clark said. "(This meeting was) really positive and got the Connecticut Chapter very enthusiastic for future gatherings."

Editor's note: This article was originally intended to run in December 2014, but was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. We are presenting it now due to the relevance and importance of the discussed topics.

Special thanks to Connecticut Chapter Vice Chair Bridget Clark for material in this article.

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