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Fleet managers are overlooking simple way to cut risks on the roads

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18 April 2012

 

Risk management: Simply cutting down driving and using public transport helps reduce employees risk exposure

Author:

Robin Roberts

Fleet managers are overlooking how they can significantly reduce risks and accidents by simply driving less for work.

That’s the conclusion of the Fleet Safety Forum, a division of Brake, the road safety charity, which has published its annual survey of fleet managers comparing road risk management practices among 134 organisations ranging from global to small family-run businesses.

It found 59% of fleet managers overlooked how much risk exposure can be cut down simply by driving less for work. Encouraging employees to take public transport and use each journey efficiently cuts down fuel, insurance, maintenance and parking charges.

Young drivers are involved in a disproportionate number of crashes owing to inexperience and over-confidence. Almost half of companies (47%) have specific young driver policies in place but only one in three (29%) have additional or tailored risk assessments for young drivers. Almost half (44%) of organisations are addressing the increased risk posed by excess speed by using telematics to monitor speed and improve driver safety.

Jools Townsend, deputy chief executive at Brake, says, “Encouraging public transport and making efficient use of every journey helps minimise the amount of time spent ‘on the road’, reducing exposure to risk. This is an easy way of cutting down insurance, maintenance and fuel costs and I’d urge all fleet managers to sign up to the Fleet Safety Forum and to this webinar to learn from real world examples of making fleets safer and saving money at the same time.”

Brake recognises the progress fleet managers have made to improve safety, but understands there is more that can be done. That’s why the charity’s Fleet Safety Forum exists; it is a not-for-profit service providing subscribers with clear and up to the minute advice on a wide range of fleet safety topics.

For a low annual fee subscribers get access to research reports such as the one just published, as well as guidance sheets for managers and drivers, a regular e-bulletin, best practice case studies on companies that have been successful in managing road risk, interactive e-learning tools and more.

The research report is free for subscribers to the Fleet Safety Forum. The first 50 non-subscriber companies to request a copy of report can do so for free, by emailing [email protected]. Thereafter it costs £5 for non-subscribers.

This can be more of an issue for  small fleet operators but all company car management documents should include risk assessment provision and advice.

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Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton is an award-winning journalist and the founder of Business Car Manager (now renamed Business Motoring). Ralph writes extensively about the car and van leasing industry as well as wider fleet and company car issues. A former editor of What Car?, Ralph is a vastly experienced writer and editor and has been writing about the automotive sector for over 35 years.

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