Creating better driving habits saves money – fact!

Getting staff to improve their driving techniques is guaranteed to deliver major savings on your vehicle running costs. Several studies have concluded that you can make significant savings on

• reduced fuel consumption
• lower insurance premiums
• general wear and tear of vehicles

SAFED has suggested that typical savings could be over 10%, but you may feel that spending money in this area is considered a luxury. However, investing now could see the cost recouped in less than six months.

BRAKE, the road safety charity, is also campaigning for companies to do more to improve driver’s awareness of safety issues — helping to reduce accident rates, and improve the overall safety of your drivers. This also addresses your corporate health and safety obligations.

These are some of the steps you could take now:

1. Introduce a compulsory driver assessment programme
2. Communicate the purpose and benefits of the programme
3. Monitor spend levels against each driver
4. Offer additional training to drivers
5. Maintain the corporate road safety message

UK Fleet Manager can help you with this and much more to make your business perform better. Contact me if you would to make a BIG difference to your company today.

Mark James
Mark.james@ukfleetmanager.co.uk

Company directors without ‘Duty of Care’ policy run higher risk of prosecution

In April 2008, the Corporate Manslaughter Act was strengthened to target company directors as well as their drivers in cases of road deaths involving vehicles used on business. The Police have said they now treat every road death as ‘an unlawful killing’ and have the power to seize company records and computers during their investigations. They will bring prosecutions against company directors who fail to provide clear policies and guidance for their employees driving at work.    

Directors and business owners may not be aware that privately owned vehicles used for business journeys are treated exactly the same as company owned vehicles. Directors have an equal responsibility under the law to ensure these vehicles are also roadworthy and correctly insured.

It is vital that every company has a ‘Driving at Work’ policy in place covering every element of their business vehicle operation, no matter how few vehicles are involved and who owns them. Every employee driving for business be required to sign up to the policy.  In this way the directors can reduce the risk of being prosecuted and a possible custodial sentence.

UK Fleet Manager provides specialist advice on drafting and initiating ‘Driving at Work’ policies.   

Mark James