Companies must implement policies to ensure company drivers report all crashes, regardless of severity, fleet managers have been advised.

According to a recent study for every 1,800 damage-only crashes there is a driver fatality.

Common fleet vehicle crashes involve low-speed manoeuvring or reversing, minimal asset damage and relatively low repair costs.

But they often go unreported and are financed by general maintenance costs or as wear and tear.

“Such incidents, however, have the potential to be fatal and costly,” said Dr Will Murray reserach director at Interactive Driving Systems.

“The only difference between most near-hits (a dint, scrape or lost wing mirror) and injury is timing or a few centimetres.

"Sod's law also means that property damage begets more property damage.”

Therefore, fleet managers need to identify the causes of damage-only collisions and near hits in order to lower injury rates and costs.

 

Fleet managers should

  • Encourage drivers to report crashes of all magnitudes.
  • Carry out documented pre- and post-drive vehicle circle checks.
  • Carry out better recording and monitoring of minor, low speed, ‘below the excess’ damage and near-hits.
  • Introduce moratoriums on discipline to allow honest reporting.
  • Remove or change safety bonus schemes to focus on total vehicle costs rather than crashes.
  • Identify all non-scheduled maintenance by crosschecking maintenance records against reported crashes and ensuring that crash codes are allocated before repairs are undertaken.
  • Introduce more severe disciplinary action for drivers ‘found out’ after the event than honest ‘self reporters’.
  • Stress the value to colleagues, as reporting can help prevent problems for workmates.
  • Carry out regular risk assessment of vehicles and locations as well as investigation of damage-only crashes.