The Best Way To Ensure You Hire Safe Drivers

Don't assume everyone has a safe driving record!

Real life example:

Situation: A case which involved a timber company’s truck driver who caused an accident that led to another driver’s death. The responsible driver’s qualifications to drive a commercial vehicle and the timber company’s failure to appropriately screen its drivers resulted in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Trial: Evidence was introduced at the trial that the timber company truck driver lied on his application and had received two license revocations. These previous infractions could have easily been discovered by the timber company with a simple background search.

Outcome:  A jury in Arkansas awarded $7 million to the family of the driver who was killed in the accident.

Hiring a person for a driving position opens your company up to liability in regards to that person’s driving history. What if he has a DUI or other serious moving violations? What if his driver’s license is expired? Your business could end up dealing with a negligent hiring claim. 

A Motor Vehicle Records search provides valuable information on the driver that is necessary to make a smart hiring decision. Access to driving records is allowed in all 50 states, although no national database of driving records exists.

A motor vehicle records search will inform you on administrative information such as:

• Type of license
• Issue date
• Expiration date
• Restrictions

The search will also uncover illegal information like:

• Violations
• Disciplinary actions
• Convictions
• Revocations
• Suspensions
• Accidents

Best practices for businesses:

In order to hire safe drivers, a Motor Vehicle Records search plays an integral part of a defense if there is ever a negligent hiring claim on an employee who drives company vehicles or who drives on company business. By performing a motor vehicle records search, employers minimize the risk of hiring an employee with a a history of unsafe driving that may put other employees, customers, or the general public at risk.

TIP: In order to make a smart hiring decision, conduct this search for ALL driving positions, including occasional or volunteer driving