Each quarter, the SC Municipal Insurance and Risk Financing Fund and SC Municipal Insurance Trust receive reports of hundreds of auto losses from members. When a vehicle accident occurs — whether it’s a minor scrape or a serious collision — it’s tempting to handle the repairs, address any injuries, file the paperwork and move on. Doing so, however, can cause municipal staff to miss a critical opportunity to prevent the accident from happening again.
Usually, an auto claim is a symptom of an underlying cause. Without a structured review, known as an incident review or root-cause analysis, those causes can remain hidden. Over time, repeated accidents lead to higher workers’ compensation costs, more property damage and greater liability risks.
A good review process asks not only what happened, but also why it happened and what action can be implemented to prevent a similar loss from happening in the future.
An incident review should consider a range of factors.
- Driver behavior and training – was the employee adequately trained for the assignment, conditions and vehicle type? If another driver caused the wreck, did the employee attempt to use defensive driving techniques to avoid the collision?
- Vehicle maintenance – could a mechanical issue have contributed to the loss? Were safety inspections completed for the vehicle each time it was in use?
- Policies and procedures – did employees follow seat belt rules? Was the driver’s motor vehicle report checked within the last year to ensure that the driver was in good standing? Was the vehicle operated according to policy?
- Work conditions – was fatigue, distraction or timing pressures a factor?
Some municipalities implement accident review boards, which are small panels that examine each incident, determine preventability and recommend corrective action. These boards foster accountability and consistency in how accidents are evaluated, and they ensure that lessons learned are shared across all departments within the municipality.
Regularly reviewing employee motor vehicle records is an important prevention tool. MVRs can reveal patterns, such as speeding violations or at-fault accidents, that might indicate a need for additional training. Conducting MVR checks during the hiring process and at least annually helps ensure that drivers remain qualified and safe behind the wheel.
A vehicle collision isn’t just an unfortunate event — it can provide valuable feedback by reviewing the details of every incident, checking MVRs and enforcing seat belt policies. Collisions should always be viewed in a holistic manner. No vehicle incident should go without investigation, even if it is very minor. These events are an opportunity to review and strengthen the municipality’s policies and procedures and promote a safer work environment.
For questions about incident investigation or root cause analysis, contact the Risk Management Services Loss Control staff at losscontrol@masc.sc.