News
Accidents do happen - July '05
29th July 2005
Accidents do happen
Malcolm Noyle of Lloyds TSB autolease calls for a bespoke approach to managing driver and fleet safety.
Statistics from the Health and Safety Executive show that when we drive for work, we’re 50% more likely to have an accident than if we’re driving for any other reason. In fact, official reports suggest that a third of all serious road collisions are work-related – that’s 20 fatalities and 250 serious injuries every week. Alarmingly, two-thirds (65%) of company vehicles will have a collision of some kind every year.
The Health & Safety at Work Act insists that it is the duty of every employer to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all employees while at work. Despite this legislation, and the significant amount of media coverage it has received, 79% of companies still have no risk strategy in place to deal with work-related road safety. These organisations blame their lack of action on time pressures and the limited availability of straightforward and cost-effective solutions to this issue.
Health and safety is now an enormous issue for every organisation, and all should be taking the necessary steps to protect their workforce. Over the past twelve months, the Government has started to introduce a regulatory framework within which every single company must operate. No business can, or should, avoid its far-reaching implications.
As with a lot of regulation, those responsible for abiding by the rules are often frustrated at the lack of clarity held within them. This is precisely the area where any responsible fleet management and funding company should be working to help organisations meet the necessary guidelines.
Every fleet is entirely unique: the funding methods differ, as do the vehicles, HR considerations and driver requirements. Every business needs to examine its fleet before any decisions are taken on how best to ensure the safety of its employees.
In essence running a safe fleet is very straightforward, requiring good record keeping and a good understanding of how the vehicles are used. So before rushing to introduce lengthy policy documents or driver training across the whole company, get your fleet manager to take the time to record such things as fuel consumption, accident rates, injuries, accident costs and mileage. All of this should help pinpoint exceptional behaviour amongst your drivers.
Managing the exceptions will improve safety records and reduce your overall costs. As a rough guide, every accident costs at least ten times the vehicle repair bill once you take into account lost working hours and contracts. Finding the drivers who are more accident-prone, and working with them to help improve their driving ability, should help produce cost-effective results.
The introduction of any health and safety policies for a fleet should be made in a positive manner and the commitment must start from senior management level. It is essential that the senior managers support a program of safer driving. As most people consider themselves to be a safe and competent driver, sending everyone on driver training may not be seen in a positive light. Instead, consider using strategic safety management methods.
Writing down a health and safety policy and ensuring everyone truly understands what is required is vital. The policy needs to clearly state the responsibility of your drivers and line management, it should cover such things as speeding, mobile phone use, excess hours, and drugs and alcohol misuse.
It is also important to run licence checks on all employees at least every six months to ensure everyone is still driving legally. Health issues should also be monitored to ensure drivers aren’t placing themselves at risk. As well as asking about prescription drugs and medical conditions, you should put in place policies to record drivers who take over-the-counter medicines, as many can have an effect on driving and see the driver falling foul of drug driving laws. It is also essential to verify good eyesight. It is estimated that two million motorists have defective eyesight and yet just one third of fleets have procedures to check driver eyesight on a regular basis.
With health issues and driving licences, it is essential that the company’s employees know it is their responsibility to inform the HR Department or fleet manager/fleet management company of any significant change in circumstances. This requirement should be part of the employment contract and the company car policy.
Last month, Lloyds TSB autolease launched Fleet Sense, the first all-encompassing work-related road safety solution which will help organisations manage their health and safety obligations more easily. It allows companies to target their efforts (and investment) towards the areas of highest risk, rather than increasing costs indiscriminately.
Fleet Sense offers:
A thorough organisational risk audit of current ‘driving at work’ policies
Driver risk assessment
Online driver licence checking
Online driver training
Recommendations for additional practical training for high risk drivers
Management information and policy templates
Fleet Sense starts to have a positive impact immediately by raising all employees’ awareness of their own personal risks on the road and targeting the high risk areas that need immediate attention. However, it is a sustainable programme, which helps companies to continually review their organisational and individual driver risks.
With growing numbers of cars on the road for work-related travel, rising accident rates, escalating ‘bent metal’ costs and business interruption costs, it is now vital that all organisations understand their risk exposure and put systems in place to reduce it. On top of these pressures, there is an increasing threat of prosecution under current legislation, heightened by the proposed Road Safety Bill and Corporate Manslaughter Bill.
Companies hoping Road Traffic Collisions (RTCs) won’t affect them are just avoiding the issue. In other areas of health and safety at work, directors of major companies don’t wait for prosecutions before they take action, because people understand the risks to the business from not complying. These do not arise from the threat of criminal prosecution, but from the potential damage to the company’s brand and reputation.
Risk solution products will help improve the safety of employees on the road and assist companies in complying with all the relevant legislation.
As well as examining and improving driver competence and awareness, the vehicles themselves need to be monitored to ensure they are roadworthy. All drivers should be aware that they are not only responsible for getting the vehicles serviced at regular intervals, but also need to make weekly checks on oil levels, washer fluid and tyres. Well maintained vehicles will help to reduce the risk of accidents and will help to cut the overall cost of running the fleet. Line managers should be made aware of their responsibilities in managing this area.
These are just a handful of tips we are offering fleet managers and finance professionals. Every fleet manager should be doing positive things, so sharing ideas and best practice is important. What is certain though is that every business needs an individual policy based on a deep understanding of its own fleet and drivers.
Employers are clearly responsible for ensuring high standards of health, safety and welfare of all employees using vehicles on behalf of their company.
Lloyds TSB autolease is committed to working closely with its clients to ensure they meet the ever changing legislation and guidelines.
For further advice on Fleet Sense and support, please go to www.lloydstsbautolease.co.uk, or call 0800 138 8753.
For further information please contact:
Lawrence Hamilton
Marketing Communications Executive
Lloyds TSB autolease
Windsor House
Hollins Brook Way
Bury
BL9 8RT
0161 447 7251
