Company car and van drivers at higher risk, says Drive Tech

Road Safety Week revealed nearly a third of drivers claim to have experienced a collision or near miss in the past year, but risks are significantly higher for fleet and at-work drivers, according to DriveTech.

Part of the AA, the specialist in fleet risk and safety management, and driver training, says fleet drivers cite ‘pressure to meet schedules’ as the main reason for taking risks on the road.

Colin Paterson, head of marketing at DriveTech, said: “Despite statistics demonstrating increased risks for fleet and at work drivers, less than one quarter of companies have regular training for their drivers.

“At-work drivers are far less likely to be involved in a collision caused by substance impairment or speeding than other motorists, however, they are far more likely to engage in other types of risky driving behaviour than individual motorists.”

A momentary lapse in concentration caused by distraction or fatigue is all it can take for a seemingly ‘small’ or ‘every day’ risk to result in a fatal accident, says DriveTech.

In 2018 alone, Department for Transport (DfT) statistics revealed that 520 people were killed as a result of someone driving for work.

“In the blink of an eye, a small error can result in a potentially life-changing outcome,” continued Paterson.

DriveTech says by simply expanding driver risk management approaches, companies could reduce accident rates by as much as 35%.

At-work drivers are:

• 48% more likely to drive while fatigued
• 40% more likely to tailgate
• 40% more likely to commit undertaking errors
• 25% more likely to commit junction errors
• 15% more likely to drive while distracted

Fleets statistics:

• 71% of UK companies do not provide regular training for drivers
• 46% of fleet manager and company drivers did not know what legally constitutes dangerous driving, while 50% did not know the penalty for this offence
• 39% of companies do not have systems or procedures in place to manager driver fatigue and almost a quarter admit that they are not fully aware of their exact requirements for managing road risk

Source: DriveTech