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Q.

How do we engage the board of directors to support this programme?

A.

It has been proven that a coordinated and targeted approach to fleet risk management leads to a reduction in collision frequency and severity, which in turn generates reduction in collision (direct) costs and lost-time (indirect) costs.  A reduction in collision frequency and severity will also help to improve your motor insurance premiums in subsequent years and place immediate savings on your bottom line.  To put this into perspective; the UK Trades Union Congress estimates that the annual cost of work-related drivers being killed or injured on UK roads is c£3.5 billion!

Combine money savings with the implications of the new Corporate Manslaughter legislation on work-related road safety and you have at least two very compelling reasons why your directors should support and lead this programme.

Q.

How do we convince the drivers that it’s a good idea?

A.

Drivers will develop skills which not only secure their own safety, but also that of their passengers and ultimately members of the public. They will learn how to manage their stress levels and learn to relax and enjoy driving once more.  All of this would help to improve efficiency in their work through better journey planning, etc. Drivers on company business will feel valued by the company knowing that it has invested in their welfare, whilst also providing them with skills and knowledge that can be passed onto family members and friends.

Q.

What can we put in place to stimulate better participation in the programme?

A.

You don’t need to be a psychologist to know that getting people to talk about their experiences can reap significant rewards.  We facilitate seminars and workshops to help promote discussion among groups of drivers who will consider problems experienced in fulfilling their duties and identify ways to resolve them, committing to future actions.  IOSH research shows a company that implemented this type of measure achieved a 56 percent reduction in collision rates in the two years after the measure was introduced.

Q.

What is the primary legislation surrounding the whole issue of driving at work?

A.

The Health & Safety at Work 1974 Act requires companies to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of all employees whilst at work.  This includes driving.  Companies also have a responsibility to ensure that others are not put at risk by their work-related driving activities.

Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, companies are required to carry out an assessment of risks to the health and safety of all employees and other people who may be affected by their work activity.

In support of the legislation, the Dykes Report (first published in 2001) recommended that: "Existing health and safety law should be applied to on-road activities and that employers should manage road risk in the same way as other risks."

Q.

What guides are available around the legislation?

A.

In order to assist businesses to better address their road risk obligations, the Health & Safety Executive published an employer’s guide to ‘Driving at work - managing work-related road safety’ (INDG382).  The Health & Safety Executive has also published research papers on contributory factors to driving behaviour (rr020.pdf) and the management of work-related road safety (rr018.pdf).

Q.

What should a Driver & Vehicle Risk Management System cover?

A.

Your Driver & Vehicle Risk Management System should monitor and control three fundamental aspects:

  1. your drivers;
  2. your vehicles;
  3. your business journey planning.
Q.

What are the basic requirements of a road risk management system?

A.

A well-developed management system must address the following:

  1. Policy - a written policy that covers work-related road safety (and is reviewed annually and approved by senior management);
  2. Responsibility - clearly defined management roles and responsibilities;
  3. Organisation - an integrated organisational structure that allows cooperation across departments with different responsibilities for work-related road safety.  In smaller businesses, your aim is to ensure you consider the links between driving activities;
  4. Systems - adequate systems that allow you to manage work-related road safety effectively;
  5. Monitoring - effective monitoring activities to ensure the system delivers uninhibited on the requirements of the business.
Q.

Are there any guidelines for a company to follow?

A.

The HSE/DfT have produced a guidance document: Driving at Work (INDG382) which is a minimum benchmark standard for companies to work to. This requires that, not only do their workers have to drive within the road traffic rules, but also that the company itself has clearly risk assessed, documented and implemented safe systems of work for their vehicles, drivers, journeys, sites and processes. The document also clarifies that the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations requirements on risk assessment do apply to work-related driving; even where people are using their own vehicle.

Q.

What can Driver Intelligence do to help?

A.

Through our extensive knowledge of fleet risk and compliance arrangements, we have created a unique web-enabled ‘Driver Intelligence System’ (DIS).  We believe driver intelligence is key.  DIS is a web-enabled management system that can be used to collate and analyse driver and vehicle risk data in order to identify optimal risk mitigation actions, whilst also producing a plethora of reports for the board of directors, insurers, etc.

Q.

What do we have to do to comply with our legal obligations?

A.

There is a clear requirement to: a) define your company’s policy; b) assess the risk and; c) manage the outcomes.  These actions can be included within your existing health and safety management system, or you can develop a bespoke driver and vehicle risk management system to specifically manage your occupational road risk.

Q.

What other factors should a company consider?

A.

Well, there is always the moral obligation. Almost 3,000 people are killed on UK roads each year; that’s an average of just under nine (9) per day. Department of Transport ‘Purpose of Journey’ data suggests that 25 to 30% of these incidents involve at least one person ‘driving for work’.  In addition, the UK's ratio of work-related road fatalities to non-vehicle occupational fatalities is about 4:1.  Surprisingly, only 14% of the UK’s 28 million vehicles are company owned; which means that companies must give greater consideration to privately-owned (grey fleet) vehicles being used for work purposes.

Driver Intelligence System Features

Everything you need for fleet risk and compliance management

Establish your company’s progress towards meeting the requirements and obligations of all fleet-related Health & Safety legislation. 

Corporate risk assessments

Tackle areas of non-compliance and reduce your corporate risk exposure by following the actions prescribed in this interactive report.

Compliance Action Reports

Tailored to the dimensions of your fleet, refer to the wealth of supporting information supplied within your bespoke Management System Handbook.

Management System Handbook

Identify the issues facing every individual who drives on company business; whether it’s in a company-supplied or their own private vehicle.

Driver Risk Assessments

Approve your drivers’ eligibility status based on accurate licence information regarding endorsements, categories and any restrictions.

Driver Licence Checks

Ensure that private vehicles used for company business meet internal policy and basic legal requirements such as tax, MOT and business insurance.

Grey Fleet Management

Protect your insurance risk - set the policy and ensure that all nominated drivers are eligible to drive and included within your risk management programme

Nominated Driver Management

Introduce and enforce CO2 limits.  Not only will you reduce your company’s impact on the planet, you’ll improve fuel efficiency and reduce costs.

C02 Management

Increase workforce efficiency and reduce fuel consumption – telematics systems enable your business to identify where most time and money is wasted.

Telematics

Keep drivers’ skills up-to-date with a series of core modules. Additionally, aim specific modules at drivers with known areas of concern.

Video-based[br/]E-Learning

Sometimes there’s no substitute for classroom-based learning. Interactive by nature, these sessions are packed with fresh thinking and useful information.

Driver Awareness Seminars

For drivers who need a little bit of extra support, in-vehicle training is an ideal environment for addressing hazardous areas of risk.

In-Vehicle Driver Training

Equip your drivers to manage the worst of situations within a controlled environment. 

Advanced Vehicle Control

Providing the ability to analyse a broad spectrum of driver and vehicle risks in order to more accurately target risk mitigation spend.

Data Analysis

Extract real-time data at any time with a series of system and service reports. 

Reporting

Incidents are not always as reported.  An investigation will provide valuable information about cause and effect and help to prevent recurrences.

Collision Investigation

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