How Independent Agents Can Advocate for Safer Roads

• May 13, 2026

By Ken Anderson

Independent agents hear it every day: Clients feel less safe on the road. Most drivers believe others are more aggressive, more reckless and more likely to be on their phones than they were just a year ago. In one Nationwide survey, around 9 in 10 drivers reported seeing more aggressive, reckless and distracted driving compared to 12 months prior.

Company drivers, who spend much of their working day behind the wheel, are raising the loudest alarms about worsening behavior.

For independent agents, bad driving behavior is a business issue that affects loss costs, client retention and community relationships. When company drivers with the most time on the roads say conditions are deteriorating, agents have a responsibility and an opportunity to respond.

The good news is that agents are uniquely positioned to influence driving behavior with both clients and lawmakers.

Bring Safety Into Every Renewal Conversation

The renewal meeting is one of the most powerful tools an agent has to move clients from awareness to action. Here are three practical steps for both commercial and personal lines accounts:

1) Ask targeted questions. For commercial accounts, ask clients about driver selection, motor vehicle record (MVR) standards, use of telematics or dashcams, and written policies on distracted driving and fatigue. Today’s artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled dash cams offer in-cab views that can detect unsafe behaviors like phone use, seat belt use or fatigue.

For personal lines clients, ask about commute patterns, how often family members drive and whether teen drivers are in the household.

2) Translate risk into impact. Use real-world examples, such as increases in repair times, higher medical costs and nuclear verdicts, to connect unsafe behavior to downtime, litigation exposure and insurance cost pressure.

3) Offer concrete next steps. Rather than general reminders to “drive safely,” point commercial lines clients to specific actions: driver training resources, self-assessment checklists, sample fleet safety policies or available telematics programs through their carriers.

For personal lines, using features like crash-avoidance technology can help mitigate, but not eliminate, the risk of crashes. Focus conversations on tech features that can prevent drivers from being distracted while driving, such as their phone’s “Do Not Disturb” or “Hands Free” settings.

Even a 5-minute safety discussion at renewal can nudge clients toward better controls and behaviors.

Help Commercial Clients Build Prevention-Focused Programs

For commercial accounts, the most effective safety programs are built on small, consistent practices rather than one-time campaigns. Agents can coach clients to:

1) Strengthen driver selection. Encourage pre-hire motor vehicle record (MVR) checks, road tests and clear written eligibility standards, with annual reviews for all drivers. Who is behind the wheel matters more than almost any other factor.

2) Put expectations in writing. A formal fleet safety program should address mobile device use, distracted driving, fatigue, vehicle maintenance and accident reporting. Written policies create clarity and accountability.

3) Use available data. Telematics, dashcams and continuous MVR monitoring can help spot risky patterns early and enable coaching before a loss occurs. Encourage clients to focus on trends and coaching rather than punishment. A recent analysis of Nationwide’s construction customers found that businesses effectively using telematics to monitor and coach drivers saw a 30% or greater reduction in their commercial auto loss ratios compared to those that didn’t.

4) Track results. Simple benchmarking, such as crash frequency, near-miss reporting and training completion, helps owners see whether their controls are working or need to be adjusted.

Use Your Voice With Lawmakers

Prevention doesn’t stop at the client level. Strong public policy also makes a measurable difference.

For example, states that have enacted and enforced comprehensive hands-free driving laws have documented reductions in traffic fatalities. In Ohio, traffic deaths fell by double digits in the two years after primary enforcement of a hands-free law began, compared to the two years prior. Iowa saw a similar decline in fatalities following the passage of new distracted driving legislation.

What’s more, Nationwide’s consumer research shows broad public support—more than 80% in some surveys—for prohibiting hand-held phone use while driving. The will is there. What’s often missing is a strong local voice.

Independent agents can share on-the-ground perspectives with state legislators about how distracted driving is affecting their communities and clients. They can advocate for hands-free laws, improved infrastructure and modern safety standards. Agents can also offer to speak in community forums or local business groups about the connection between safe roads, economic health and insurance affordability.

Because agents are constituents and community leaders, their advocacy can carry more weight than national talking points alone.

Independent agents sit at the intersection of risk, behavior and financial impact. You see the claims, the premium pressures and the human stories behind crash statistics.

By bringing safety into everyday conversations, helping clients build practical prevention programs and using your voice to support proven public policies, you can help reverse dangerous trends on the road—while protecting your clients’ people, balance sheets and reputations.

That’s not just good loss control. It’s the kind of leadership that strengthens trust in independent agents and makes your agency indispensable in the communities you serve.

Ken Anderson is risk management technical director for business auto at Nationwide.