Fleets are failing to implement policies aimed at keeping their drivers safe after a survey suggested a series of major failings.

Nearly half (46.3%) of respondents did not have a policy on tired driving, while more than a third (36.6%) offered no advice on drink or drug driving.

The findings, from a Fleet News survey carried out in association with TrackCompare, come in the wake of research from Lex Autolease that suggests at-work drivers were responsible for 40% of all accidents involving a company vehicle last year.

The data, which was based on an analysis of Lex Autolease’s accident management fleet of 120,000 vehicles, revealed that company drivers were involved in 43,293 accidents last year and were ‘at fault’ in more than 18,000 cases.  

Almost one in five accidents were caused by a company driver colliding with an immobile object such as a bridge, a building or a wall and 22% were the result of company drivers hitting a third party vehicle. 

The average cost of each ‘at fault’ claim including repair costs, third party liabilities and rental costs for replacement vehicles was £1,033, meaning that Lex Autolease customers paid out more than £18.6m due to poor driving by their employees.  

Richard Harper, head of accident services at Lex Autolease, said: “The fact that company drivers were responsible for 40% of accidents last year suggests that businesses need to do more to raise standards and eradicate poor driving behaviour. 

“The starting point for businesses is to understand why accidents occur.  Once they have this information they can take steps to reduce collisions such as driver training programmes, assessing time and work pressures on their drivers and eliminating unnecessary journeys.”  

The TrackCompare survey of nearly 250 fleets, which was carried out in October, reveals that up to 78% of fleets allow their drivers to use hands-free phones while driving. This is despite figures from Brake, the road safety charity, that show using a phone, including any hands-free phone, is a major distraction and contributes to accidents.

It also suggests that guidelines from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), which recommend a 15-minute break for every two hours of driving, are generally not understood.

Kjell Anderton, a director of TrackCompare, said: “Some of the results are really quite disturbing.

“Of course, we’re pleasantly surprised that more than 40% of companies pay for their drivers’ eyesight tests; this is a positive sign good vision is being recognised as a key safety concern.

However, he added: “It’s highlighted a number of problems that need to be addressed urgently.”

Launched in 2009, TrackCompare.co.uk represents more than 50 tracking and telematics companies across a wide range of technologies.

The company’s online service is backed by a team of experienced fleet consultants, who help more than 2,000 new fleets every month.

TrackCompare.co.uk assists organisations large and small to identify the most effective tracking and telematics solutions for their operations.
 

See page two for survey results