How On-demand Background Check Can Aid An Overall Safety For The Transport Industry?

Margaret Williams
5 min readJun 14, 2021
Background Check Can Aid An Overall Safety For The Transport Industry
Background Check Can Aid An Overall Safety For The Transport Industry

Vehicle, road, and driver safety is a pressing issue in the transport industry. Whether you are driving a taxi, cab, truck, bus, commercial passenger vehicle, or even working as a food delivery person, safety remains the prime factor.

So, what can be done to improve & increase road safety? Before we wander into raising the safety performance of the Australian Transport Industry, let us draw your attention to alarming statistics.

The 2020 report on Major Accident Investigation from ‘National Transport Insurance’ had the following data to reveal:

- 50% rise in truck driver fatalities since 2017 (a major cause of driver fatigue)

- Single vehicle accidents have increased by 76% since 2018

- Driver errors were recorded at 39% in 2019

- Inattention & distraction increased by 17% since 2017

- 34% of all fatal accidents caused due to driver fatigue

- Data found 80% of a motorist at fault

Click here to download the full report.

Report Courtesy: NTARC

Let’s go back to the beginning and search for ways to avoid or help locate the causes of collisions and near-collisions.

Driver cam and a few alert systems are already in place to address minor and major collisions. However, looking at the stats, the question arises on the efficiency & performance of these devices.

The driver community, who mostly remains alfresco, how much farther they can rely on such system/devices for safety or is there a need for a more thoughtful approach?

Let’s see how much technology-based road safety solutions can help in identifying risks & help in improving safety for all drivers.

Can Technology Improve The Overall Risk?

Up to a certain extent, yes, technology can help in identifying and assessing the situation. With the help of Artificial Intelligence, machine vision, and other frameworks, a significant improvement can be observed in mitigating risk management & elevating driver safety. However, more profoundly, this methodology is more oriented to helping fleet operators & safety managers. But, a very little they could do to prevent drivers from a collision in real-time. Regardless, it can benefit fleet solution providers with:-

- assessing risky driver behavior

- analysis of the driver data

- save money on claims, etc.

So,

Is there a smarter approach to create safer roads for the drivers & community?

Driver Accreditation & Training Leading To Increased Road Safety

Driver accreditation is a state-wide program for drivers to determine that they meet all the safety standards and are fit to work in the industry. Every state and territory has a requirement. To apply for a driver accreditation, one may need to obtain a Traffic History Check, Medical History Check, and National Police Check certificate.

Since driver accreditation is a state-specific program, let’s consider South Australia (SA), for example. Besides National Police Check SA, one would also require a Working with Children check to apply for driver accreditation.

Many transport related technologies have evolved such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicular ad hoc networks, smart street lights, traffic signs, road intersections, driving behavior — all these contributes towards creating smart transport & logistics industry to increase safety.

On the other side, companies are also working on advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) and other technologies for hazard warning, road safety and helping drivers to keep road safety in-check.

In today’s age we must divulge our attention towards creating ‘Intelligent Transport System’. An ITS that applies many technologies such as machine learning with IoT, 5G, autonomous transportation system to monitor, evaluate and deliver safety. A few main benefits of transportation technology are:

- Safer

- Better Managed

- More Efficient

- Cost Effective

- Gives Rapid Insights

How Can On-demand Background Check Aid An Overall Safety For The Transport Industry?

Background checks on drivers can reveal driver behavior and driver riskiness. Depending on the level of risk, a proper training module can be crafted and can be used to improve overall safety.

Transport managers can use this data to create driver profiles, track performance, and coach drivers to reduce overall risk and promote driver & road safety. Such training patterns can massively help in transforming driver behavior patterns and benefit in the long term.

How Can On-demand National Police Check & Driver Accreditation Help Drivers?

Creating and delivering a successful training model shows commitment to improving the safety of all drivers. Since drivers are an integral part of the transport industry, it is essential to focus on their well-being.

As we saw above, driver fatigue causing 50% of on-road fatalities. In such a scenario, training sessions need to include points that will aid in the driver’s physical well-being. These could be:-

- pre-start checklist such as to ensure seat-belt is on

- taking a break

- being extra vigilant for rash drivers

- don’t overload your vehicle

- being aware of the weather conditions

Similarly, National Police Check for driver accreditation could aid in mental well-being as drivers will demonstrate their proficiency. This could not only help them to minimize risk on roads but also help them receive more jobs.

Carrying out the Criminal History Check and Traffic History Check will undoubtedly pave the way to acquire more jobs if you are a taxi driver, truck driver, bus driver, or food delivery driver.

Transportation industry is the backbone that plays a vital role for a nation’s economy. Unlike any other industry, it is subject to hefty legal, safety requirements and heavily regulated. In such a scenario, it is utmost for a transport company to hire reliable, trustworthy workforce which accounts for the success.

However, one bad hire could also be the potential cause of stolen goods, lost customers, serious accidents, and ruining brand image. Besides the one that is discussed above, there are few other recommended background checks for the transportation industry. These are:

- Drug screening

- Motor Vehicle Report

- Employment Verification Check

- Education Verification Check

A few companies have also adopted the strategy to carry post-hire background checks due to the workplace accidents, failing job performance, or moving violations. There is no need to rush and make ill-informed decision by opting out of background checks. Be at peace by knowing that you make the right decision by screening and by hiring the right employee at the right time.

Wrap Up:

KONCHECK is committed to creating a safe workplace environment for the Australian community. The company has streamlined the process by conducting the Police Check Online.

Thus, you can now receive your Criminal History Check Certificate within 1–2 business days. Visit here to avail prompt background check services whether you need National Police Check NSW, Police Check QLD, or for any other state or territory.

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Margaret Williams

Hi, I am Margaret from Australia. Writing blogs is my passion. Professionally, I am closely working with National Police Check - https://www.koncheck.com/npc