Traffic psychology: check out how to have more safety and quality of work in your fleet

Risky behavior that threatens drivers can be avoided through traffic psychology. 

Did you know that encourage emotional balance in its fleet management, does it provide safer and more efficient services? 

Traffic jams, short deadlines for services, as well as family disputes and mental health problems are examples of what causes dismantling of emotions and risks for its professionals. 

In this sense, the Ministry of Transport, Ports and Aviation carried out a survey which states that 53,7% of accidents that occur in Brazil are caused by two main reasons: disrespect for traffic laws (30,3%) and lack of driver attention (23,4%).

As a result, Drivers' emotions impact attention levels and provoke less conscious and more dangerous driving. 

Data from the 2021 Yearbook, prepared by the Federal Highway Police (PRF), point out that 5 people died in 64 car accidents. Since, the number of accidents and deaths on federal highways has grown compared to 2020. 

Therefore, psychology plays a fundamental role in compliance with traffic legislation. 

It's needed combine existing rules with better psychological conditions to prevent accidents and increase the quality of work. 

Thinking about it, we prepared a Complete material on the benefits of traffic psychology with valuable tips for you to put into practice in your light fleet management.

Continue reading:  

Traffic psychology in Brazil

Traffic Psychology researchers, claim that this field of psychological analysis emerged in the mid-twentieth century, in the year 1920. 

However, the development of this technique only took place in the 50s and early 60s. 

In view of this, the beginning of hiring psychologists began in the city of Rio de Janeiro, where these professionals studied the behavior of drivers. 

However, currently, a researcher at the University of San Francisco states that there are psychologists who work with interfaces in these other sciences: 

• Traffic education;
• Automotive ergonomics;
• Traffic engineering.

In this sense, the work is already much broader throughout Brazil, than simply just the emotional assessment of drivers, from the acquisition process of the National Driver's License (CNH) or renewal. 

Therefore, the psychologist acts to: 

• Carrying out research and possible diagnoses with suggested measures to solve problems in the context of traffic.

• Guidance and information on road problems, to bring about social change through courses, among other tools.

• Execution of solutions focused on behavior, such as, for example, psychotherapy for people afraid of driving. 

However, over the years, psychology services have also contributed to reducing concerns about statistics on accidents and deaths in traffic. 

Benefits of psychology in accident prevention

This branch of psychology informs vehicle drivers about the rules of traffic legislation, but, primarily, analyzes drivers about their conduct on the roads. 

Furthermore, the objective is to humanize traffic to prevent accidents that are directly associated with aggressiveness or inattention. 

The State Public Security Secretariat (SSP-GO) in Goiás, for example, found that stress and lack of civility increased traffic accidents, which in 2020 were from 90,2 thousand to 98,4 thousand in 2021. 

Therefore, psychology performs the control of aggressive behavior which add to the lack of defensive driving and result in increased violence and deaths. 

Likewise, the applied psychotechnical tests reveal the driver's personality traits, the driver's conditions for driving, his emotional balance and his psychomotor skills. 

Thus, it is possible for the psychologist to anticipate and even avoid possible risk behaviors in traffic. 

But, it is essential that the light fleet manager also creates internal measures to contribute to traffic psychology.

After all, the company is responsible for acting in the development of quality of life, to reduce the effect of variables that cause anxiety and other problems of physical and mental exhaustion of its employees.

Steps to have more psychological health in your fleet 

Traffic psychology teaches us how to fleet management is not entirely operational. 

Therefore, the psychological health of your professionals is important to avoid problems for your company, such as: 

In this sense, it is necessary to invest in best practices to reduce risky behaviors and encourage the good behavior of drivers of vehicles in its fleet. 

Researchers with a study published by Univates – Center for Human and Social Sciences, point out which attitudes in traffic need to be analyzed by their management in order to create a fleet management policy: 

• Dangerous maneuvers due to lack of attention;
• Driver fatigue;
• Speeding; 
• Feeling pressured by deadlines;
• Prohibited overtaking. 

Thus, it is essential that managers identify whether there are these or other problems to be faced, before establishing the safety culture to prevent accidents and other risks. 

In this way, with well-aligned communication and training, management can collaborate to preserve the lives of its employees. 

We also pack any software are ideal for enhancing management and improving the psychological safety of the fleet. 

A system of video telemetry, for example, is complete and efficient to make your drivers safer and services more efficient. 

Download the practical guide: Discover video telemetry and everything it can do for your light fleet management

Create your fleet policy with video telemetry 

State-of-the-art vehicle technology ensures your fleet policy structure is automatically detailed to improve traffic psychology. 

In that sense, the system Golfleet Videotelemetry is specialized for you to formalize all vehicle use practices in an organized and efficient manner. 

Have the work routine in traffic and guidelines within the system and check data such as: 

• Purpose of each vehicle; 
• How an employee becomes able to drive;
• General rules of work; 
• Professional responsible for the payment of fines and claims, as well as how this collection will be carried out. 

In addition to this information, there are other rules that can be inserted according to the psychological reality of its team and its services. 

In this way, respecting the speed limit on the tracks and the mandatory use of seat belts are some more examples of standards that will be evident for the preservation of the driver's life. 

In general, creating this set of rules ensures that drivers and management are impacted with several benefits, such as: 

• Decreased risk of accidents;
• Reduction of variable costs;
• Productivity control;
• Increased vehicle life;
• Decrease in the number of traffic violations. 

Therefore, optimize your management time with video telemetry and have faster processes to psychologically support your employees. 

Use verbal coaching to make drivers aware

The video telemetry of Golfleet it also supports managers in changing habits in real-time directions. 

The verbal coaching allows traffic safety to be even more guaranteed, as the system talks to the driver and warns of imprudence. 

For example, when exceeding the permitted speed or performing dangerous overtakes, the management can intervene by voice to reduce these unsafe behaviors. 

After all, although the rules for a fleet policy are efficient, it is necessary to adopt all strategies to ensure safer directions. 

However, management must guide, train and contribute with vehicle technology to increase the quality of life of its professionals. 

A Golfleet is always one step ahead to support managers and employees of light fleets. 

With the use of artificial intelligence, it is possible to record everything that happens inside and outside the vehicle.

To reduce risky behavior, save lives and reduce costs with infractions and accidents.