Managing small fleet risk

10th April, 2017

The Health and Safety Executive estimates one-third of all road accidents involve an at-work driver, which means it’s never been more important to ensure your vehicles are safe and your drivers are safety-conscious. Options to help you manage your small fleet risks include:

Telematics
Simple smartphone apps are available for small fleets telling you where your vehicles are at any time of day and monitoring driver behaviour. The cost is minimal, but the benefits can be huge, as telematics, along with dash cams, can help determine what has happened at the time of an accident and help protect against fraudulent claims.

Distraction
EU data reveals that distraction is a contributory factor in up to 30% of collisions. A survey by road safety charity, Brake, found that 55% of the 25 to 34 year old drivers questioned had sent or read a text message on their mobile whilst driving during 2016.

New legislation (March 1, 2017) means such drivers will now get an automatic 6 points, instead of 3 on their licence and an increased fine of £200. New drivers could find they have their licence revoked if caught within 2-years of passing their test.

A driver distraction policy can help to reduce risks, specifying your company’s conditions, which may include banning or limiting hands-free mobile phone use, not smoking or eating whilst driving, and stopping to change satnav settings.

A survey in 2016 by road safety charity, Brake, found 55% of 25-34 year old drivers questioned had sent or read a text on their mobile whilst driving.

Driver excesses, training and checklists
Driver excesses can encourage drivers to improve their behaviour, whereby they must pay an increasing amount every time they are involved in a collision. Online driver training courses can improve driver awareness, and training is particularly beneficial if an employee is driving an unfamiliar vehicle. You may also find it useful to provide checklists that drivers must sign every time they use a vehicle, recording signs of damage and creating an audit trail that encourages everyone to keep the vehicle in good condition. 

Smartphone apps are available to enable drivers to record and submit a claims incident whilst at the scene of an accident.

Logbooks, mobile apps & debriefs
Accident logbooks list your business’ insurance details and tell drivers what to record at the scene of a collision. In fact, there are mobile apps available which enable drivers to record and submit a claims incident whilst at the scene of an accident, with step by step instructions to ensure events are recorded accurately and backed up by photos. Other measures you can take include post-collision debriefs and regular fleet inspections.

How we can help
We are committed to helping our fleet customers minimise their exposure to risk and can help tailor a risk management policy to suit your company utilising some or all of the above suggestions. As required, we can arrange bespoke insurance tailored to your specific needs so please contact us today. 

Sources:
Inside Zurich
Fleet News