Preventing Backing Incidents

This award winning internationally recognized Thinking Driver defensive driving program features Thinking Driver’s proprietary 7 Fundamentals of Safe Backing: Avoiding Backing, Circle Check, Look Back, Back Slowly, Use a Guide, Avoid Distractions.

Backing up in a vehicle amounts to only a slim fraction of distances travelled compared to forward movement but accounts for up to half or more reportable incidents in many fleet operations with small or larger vehicles. These incidents represent a huge cost in vehicle damage and repair, property damage, insurance claims and escalating premiums as well as frequent injuries and fatalities.

The media rich course engages learners through a variety of interactive on-screen activities including quizzes, click to discover facts, video, audio commentary and much more. This is the premier defensive driving eLearning program and is all new for 2020 with updated content, updated video and much more! The user interface is intuitive and easy to use. Employees love this course because unlike so many others, it’s interesting, entertaining and informative while holding their attention.

Course Topics

Seven Fundamentals of Safe Backing

Avoiding Backing

The most obvious strategy to prevent a backing collision is to not back up. We present several concrete and reasonable techniques and strategies that will reduce the need for reversing by at least 50%. These techniques are never taught in driving school and drivers love how they can be incorporated easily into daily habits that not only enhance safety but reduce driving stress also.

Circle check

Many backing (and forward movement) incident occur when a vehicle has been parked and then moved by a driver that has not completed a circle check. Fundamental two describes how to circle check and why it’s a key component to preventing backing incidents.

Look Back

Looking where you are going is a concept taught to us since childhood but often employees back up without looking back either through the rear window or using mirrors. Many drivers do not use mirrors to their optimal effectiveness due to misunderstandings on how to properly adjust them. Correct mirror adjustment is a key component taught in this section of the course. 

Back slowly

Vehicles preform much differently when backing up. Steering is dramatically different and its very easy to lose control when backing at excessive speeds. The course content emphasizes the importance of monitoring speed and presents techniques to effectively regulate speed while travelling in reverse.

Use a guide

One of the most effective strategies for eliminating backing incident is having a second set of eyes at the rear of the vehicle guiding the driver and looking out for hazards. We cover where guides should stand, what to do if a guide is being used and moves out of the driver view, common signals that the guide may use to communicate with the driver.

Avoid distractions

Distractions pull the drivers attention from the task at hand and diminish attentiveness. We discuss several types of common distracted driving issues and practical solutions, encouraging employees to avoid distraction not only when backing but whenever operating a vehicle.

Practice

Any skill that is barely or never learned and not practised until the person is competent will never be mastered. Mastering backing is actually very easy. Practice is the key. We encourage employees to learn basic backing skill and then practice using exercises that we suggest until they feel confident to back up a vehicle with skill and expertise (even when being watched by coworkers).

Pass Mark

Testing conducted throughout this online Backing Safety Fundamentals course is designed to reinforce the information presented. A mark of 90% must be achieved in order to receive a certificate of completion. Participants are able to repeat the course twice if the pass mark is not achieved. Supplemental materials necessary to complete this course can be accessed online.

Certificate Of Completion

Upon successful completion of this online course, a certificate of completion will be available for download and printing.

Watch the course preview here!

There are no prerequisites for this course.