I've been working at changing driver behavior for almost 30 years - both seasoned drivers with more than a million miles under their belts and those fresh out of trucking school in their first few weeks of commercial driving.

Through this experience (including presenting thousands of on-road training sessions), I've seen drivers make every mistake you can imagine, regardless of experience or attitude.

For example, I'll intentionally knock the right mirror out of adjustment while on the road with a driver and he'll never even notice it (obviously not something he uses regularly). Or, I'll watch drivers intentionally crowd the vehicle in front during a check ride. When asked why they are doing it, I usually hear, "to keep other drivers from cutting in".

Working at DriveCam has afforded me the unique opportunity to view risky driving through our in-cab video technology. Unfortunately, this includes thousands of crashes and near crashes.

The majority of the risky behaviors I see can be sorted into two buckets; one contains "willful" actions, while the other includes actions I'll label as "unknowing". Let me explain a little about each and why this is relevant to your company's efforts to improve driving behavior.

Willful Risky Behavior

Some drivers knowingly take risky actions, even though they know it is against state law or company policy. Examples of this include speeding, running a stop sign or using a hand-held cell phone. In situations where the risky behavior is willful, it's important to understand "why" the action was taken. Sure, you may choose to be punitive as it was a deliberate violation, but this won't change the underlying reason why the driver did it in the first place. Instead of changing the risky behavior, your driver may just work harder to avoid getting caught. Knowing the "why" behind an action and addressing it is an important step to gaining sustained improvement from drivers.

Take a look at the included video that shows a driver willingly rolling through a stop light. Certainly the driver knew this was against the law, yet they did it anyway. Why? Probably because they've gotten away with it many times before and just didn't think it was risky. That was true until this event - when a motorcyclist was almost struck.

Consider the example of a driver using the cell phone while driving even though it's against your policy. He probably does so because he doesn't think it's risky. This needs to be addressed and requires education on the impact of distracted driving. This driver will likely change his beliefs once he's exposed to the data that validates the concern and the countless tragic stories from parents and spouses who have lost loved ones due to distracted driving. If he doesn't change after that, he just doesn't care. But, that's another story.

Unknowing Risky Behavior

Other times, drivers unknowingly exhibit behaviors that significantly increase risk behind the wheel. In these instances the driver usually is not aware he is taking ill-advised actions; it may just be a bad habit that they unconsciously repeat over and over. Or, he is aware of the action but doesn't realize it's risky. Examples of this include drivers looking just a short distance ahead, continual hard braking or following too close.

Sitting down with the driver to understand "why" the action was taken is crucial because otherwise, this behavior will likely occur again. Let's take the example of a driver not looking far enough ahead. This is a fundamental key to safe driving, yet too few drivers execute it well. Certainly drivers want to look far enough ahead, but they just don't realize when they aren't doing it. Experience has taught me that this shortcoming won't be corrected in a safety meeting or by viewing a training video. You need to get out on the road with your driver and show how far ahead they should be looking and demonstrate the advantages, such as smoother driving, no load shifts and far fewer surprises.

Almost every company with a fleet gathers feedback on driving from somewhere. It may be through on-board technologies, motorist reports or, perhaps, anecdotal peer feedback. Whatever the method, if there is a risky behavior that needs to be addressed, be sure to determine if it is "willful" or "unknowing". This will help you to decide what strategy to pursue to ensure achieving lasting change in your drivers' behaviors.