You can list rising insurance costs among the many financial issues plaguing fleet owners. Two key drivers are the unprofitability of the insurance industry that pays out more than it collects, and the massive lawsuits and subsequent “nuclear verdicts” that arise after accidents, according to My Safety Manager.
But while neither of those are under your control as a fleet owner, there is something you can do to help reduce the risk of seeing a double or triple premium increase: make sure your fleet is in compliance, especially when it comes to reflective tape.
Why have reflective tape on your truck?
Visibility is the name of the game. If your truck can be seen by other drivers, even in low light or dark conditions, it is less likely to be involved in an accident. According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study, reflective (or conspicuity) tape can reduce side and rear-impact crashes during nighttime conditions by more than 40%.
But there are other reasons to make sure your truck has reflective tape on its exterior. For one thing, it’s required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for trucks exceeding 10,000 pounds and more than 80 inches wide. If your vehicles fall under those size dimensions and the tape isn’t on the trucks, you risk getting citations or an Out of Service violation until the issue is corrected or fixed.
For another, having reflective tape in all the right places keeps your truck on the road instead of in the shop undergoing post-accident repairs. Accidents mean downtime and downtime costs money, not to mention wreaking havoc with your transport schedule.
Finally, the fewer the accidents your company incurs, the better your rating will be with your insurance carrier. Those all-important Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores are based on roadside inspections, traffic enforcement, and crash report data from the previous 24 months. And the ratings can determine your premium costs and potentially your ability to secure contracts. It’s like golf: you want a low score, not a high one!
What else to consider about reflective tape
You’ve installed reflective tape on your truck. Now you can check off that box. Right? Not so fast.
It’s also important that you have the right tape for your vehicle and that the tape is in road-worthy condition. Otherwise, you might still end up with a violation and be held liable in the event of an accident. And that will really drive up your rates!
Essential points to remember
- The reflective tape must meet DOT-C2 certification, have the DOT-C2 certification visible, and be the correct dimension: 50 millimeters or 1.9685 inches wide.
- The reflective tape must be installed according to FMCSA regulations: along both sides as well as on the lower and upper rear of the trailer.
- The reflective tape must be in good condition: no tears, cracks or bubbles and no dirt or residue buildup that will reduce its ability to properly catch and reflect light from other vehicles.
The last item is something that should be checked on a regular basis and documented on a Driver Vehicle Inspection Report (DVIR), noted My Safety Manager. Not only is it a federal rule under 49 CFR §396.11, it also provides a paper trail that shows your company takes safety seriously and has an inspection and maintenance policy in place to ensure problems are addressed before they result in violations, accidents or worse.
The Bottom Line
If you want to keep your insurance rates as low as possible and ensure the safety of your drivers as well as others on the road, then be sure your trucks have DOT-C2 reflective tape in all the right places and in the best possible condition.
And if it’s time to replace worn or damaged reflective tape or if you’ve added a vehicle to your fleet that falls under the size guidelines for reflective tape, check out our selection of white and red-and-white DOT-C2 reflective tape—the latter available with 5-year and 10-year warranties.
Or upgrade to reflective DOT-C2 logo tape that increases your branded marketing presence on the road and is fully DOT-compliant. We’re happy to provide assistance with the logo design and digital file that is needed for production. Contact us at 866-506-4785. Briargate Supply is an industry leader in premium DOT approved reflective tape.