How Route Distance Calculators Reduce Road Accidents

Too often, we find ourselves stuck on the highway, inching our way past totaled cars or flipped over trucks. Sometimes, we even have to swerve to barely miss being included in such accidents ourselves.

Road traffic accidents are a persistent problem. Research by the Association for Safe International Road Travel shows that road traffic accidents, which claim the lives of nearly 1.3 million people each year, are the 9th leading cause of death globally. Furthermore, the research projects that if we don’t take action to reduce road accidents now, crashes on the road will be the 5th leading cause of death by 2030.

It’s important to consider these statistics not only in our personal lives, but in our professional lives as well – particularly when our professions or industries depend heavily on driving. Rather than losing valuable lives and key company assets from mishaps on the road, driving-oriented industries, such as delivery, distribution, and e-commerce, should take active steps to minimize and prevent accidents.

How route distance calculators reduce road accidents?
By letting managers establish pre-planned routes for their drivers, these tools minimize distractions and encourage responsible driving on the road. Here are some of the main ways route planners can help reduce traffic accidents:

Minimizing distracted driving

Distracted driving is a common problem, and it’s one of the biggest causes of accidents on the road. Distractions on the road range from visual distractions (taking your eyes off the road) to manual distractions (taking your hands of the wheel) to cognitive distractions (taking your mind off driving). By minimizing each of these three areas of distraction, route planners can reduce road traffic accidents overall.

You can prevent distracted driving by using a routing app synced to an already planned route. This way, drivers won’t have to look at their phones or remove their hands from the wheel to type directions into apps like Google Maps or Waze. They also won’t be distracted looking around for the correct route, and they won’t have the mental distraction of trying to plan the perfect route in their head. By telling drivers exactly where to go, exactly when to go there, and exactly how to get there, route planners leave no room for distraction.

Creating mandatory breaks

A good route distance calculator also includes mandatory breaks, like lunch breaks and other stops, at specific times. In this way, route planner apps encourage drivers to break up their driving rather than attempt to get to the next stop as quickly as possible. This ensures that they aren’t driving tired and hungry, and are instead fully awake and refreshed whenever they’re on the road. Incorporating breaks into the delivery schedule also ensures that routes are planned in a way that’s realistically achievable for delivery staff, who won’t have to constantly rush or speed for fear of running late.

Setting a realistic schedule

By taking into account stops for lunch and fuel, as well as speed limit and traffic on the road, route planners set realistic expectations for arrival time. Drivers are guaranteed to be right on schedule when they’re following a planned route, as opposed to figuring out the route for themselves as they go along. This means that they won’t feel the need to speed and can meet the requirements for arrival time stress-free. A route planner’s ability to show a realistic view of driving time, and to set driver and manager expectations accordingly, ensures that delivery staff won’t drive recklessly on the road.

Enabling tracking and monitoring

When delivery staff know that their route is planned out and monitored by upper management, they are more likely to drive carefully. Rather than navigating the route entirely on their own, they’re being held accountable for their performance on the road. If something goes wrong–for example, if assets are lost due to reckless driving–management can refer to the delivery schedule to know exactly which driver is at fault. The result is that delivery staff will stay alert and drive with caution.

Summary: Upholding public safety with route distance calculators

Cars, trucks, and other road vehicles are an integral part of our global culture, both on a personal and professional level. Just as all of us are responsible for driving safely in our personal lives, businesses are responsible for ensuring that their delivery staff and other drivers travel safely, too. Route planning tools like MyRouteOnline help companies maintain the safety of their employees and the roads on which they travel. By reducing driver distraction, leaving time for critical stopping points, eliminating the need to rush or speed, and holding drivers accountable, route distance calculators make deliveries safer.