Technology will be in the front line of the future battle to cut road accidents, according to fleet experts from leasing and insurance companies.

However, technology in isolation will not prevent drivers crashing their vans and trucks; it has to be used as part of a cohesive risk management and incident reduction plan supported by people at all levels of the company.

Achieve this and you can expect to not only see a reduction in crashes, but a reduction in insurance premiums – a double saving. Insurers will even part-fund investment into crash-reduction technology in some instances.

The consensus among fleet professionals is that telematics, with its ability to provide specific information about a driver’s behaviour, offers the biggest opportunity for reducing road risk.

Bernel Meyers, senior risk consultant at insurance company Zurich, says: “Basically, there needs to be far more uptake of telematics in fleets.

“Large goods vehicles will routinely use telematics either installed by the manufacturer or as an aftermarket option, and fleets operating vans need to do the same with data relating to safety being properly analysed. In-vehicle cameras also seem to be increasingly coming into favour. I think we’re missing an opportunity to make the most of this type of technology currently, but this should change.”

Oliver Boots, head of product services at LeasePlan, urges fleets to understand the importance of correctly implementing conclusions from telematics data.

“Fleet operators are increasingly using data from telematics to deliver training to the individuals or driver groups that need it most,” Boots says.

“Telemetry data is often most useful for high-mileage fleets, where significant analysis may be required to best establish training needs.”

When telematics is used in conjunction with other emerging technologies, such as in-vehicle cameras, its potential to improve drivers’ behaviour becomes even greater.

Steve Shirley, commercial motor risk manager at insurance company Aviva, believes telematics with in-cab cameras will be of “increasing importance”.

“Telematics combined with in-vehicle camera systems has the potential to make a real difference to driver  behaviour in the future,” he says.

“The drivers are in no doubt that they’re being monitored and are likely to take greater care.

“But, as ever, it comes back to how the information gathered from the technology is subsequently used by the fleet manager.”

Malcolm Roberts, fleet services manager at Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions, says van and truck fleets should use “all the tools” at their disposal to minimise accidents.

“It’s not only going to be driver training that  will feature – but that’ll still be a major component that’s increasingly shaped by telematics,” says Roberts.

“It’ll be a case of gathering as much data as possible and then acting on it.”

Improving driver behaviour

Up to 95% of all at-work road incidents are caused either wholly or partly by employees’ actions. The remaining  5% are down to mechanical failure, vehicle defects or  uncontrollable events such as falling trees, according to Government statistics.

So, what can be done to improve driver behaviour?

“To make drivers more responsible, companies should, in the first instance, have robust policies and procedures in place concerning safe driving and a safe fleet,” says Meyers.

“Their line management should understand their roles and responsibilities and be proactively implementing the policies to ensure they are looking after the health, safety and welfare of their teams.

“They should also have a robust education and communication programme in place, which includes a driver’s  understanding of what’s required of them in relation to the fleet policies and procedures.”

Roberts adds that effective communication involves total clarity when it comes to the impact of crashes.

“To my mind, discussions about the true cost of accidents should be explained at an employee’s annual review,” he says. “By talking through the real costs that are involved – including repair, lost business and increased insurance premiums – employees are likely to become more engaged.

“I think that this is far more positive than adopting  punitive measures like fining employees who have two at-fault crashes.”

Chris Chandler, a senior consultant at Lex Autolease, believes fleets should consider actively rewarding good drivers. He also extols the merits of establishing “a total safety culture” within an organisation.

“For many organisations, it becomes clear to employees that this is important if prominent display within their workplace is given to the number of accident-free days that have been enjoyed,” says Chandler.

“Then, when someone has a crash, they’re fully aware that they’re responsible for affecting that tally.

“I also think, for some organisations, it’s even worth considering rewarding accident-free periods in some way, possibly with shopping vouchers, in order to incentivise the whole process.

“This investment is often recouped through savings made on wear and tear on the vehicle.”

Driver training

In a nutshell: Training is the single biggest element in any risk management and crash reduction programme. 

How is it implemented? Either through on-road training, online or in the classroom.

Benefits: Reduces accidents, improves fuel economy, less wear and tear on the vehicle.

Disadvantages: A one-size-fits-all approach, rather than tailoring courses to individual needs, will not be effective.

Proactive preventative measures

In a nutshell: A way to assess driver behaviour and implement actions to reduce risk.

How are they implemented? Measures might include individual driver risk assessments and the use of telematics.

Benefits: For many, it’s the starting point to establish risk levels to enable tailored action to be undertaken.

Disadvantages: Requires involvement of line managers who need to be clear about their roles and responsibilities.

Intelligent risk assessments

In a nutshell: Assessments will look at the component parts of driving, such as the driver, the vehicle and the journeys being undertaken. 

How are they implemented? Assessments will hone in on why an individual is considered to be high-risk.

Benefits: Risk assessments can be used to provide more focused driver education.

Disadvantages: Assessments require an investment of both time and finances.

Vehicle safety technology

In a nutshell: Often referred to as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), these may include autonomous emergency braking.

How is it implemented? Many of these are purchased when the vehicle is ordered. Some, such as reversing sensors and in-cab cameras, can be fitted at a later date.

Benefits: Reduces risk of frontal crashes, lane departure, loss of control, etc. Many systems provide audible or visible alerts.

Disadvantages: Usually optional, so requires investment.

Charging employees for each crash

In a nutshell: Some fleet management policies include the ability to charge the employee for a portion of the cost of the damage.

How is it implemented? The implementation varies widely. Some  organisations make a charge from the first at-fault claim while others start from the second or third within a 12-month period.

Benefits: Creates a financial incentive for drivers to take greater care of their vehicle.

Disadvantages: May not be good for staff morale.

Post-accident review groups

In a nutshell: Post-accident reviews aim to get to the root cause of the collision. 

How are they implemented? Reviews identify whether management  failings or other factors contributed to the collision.

Benefits: Understanding the root cause will result in more meaningful remedial action being implemented to help prevent a recurrence.

Disadvantages: There’s the potential for an organisation to be presented with unpalatable truths about the way it operates, although this can only be for the long-term good.

CASE STUDY: NHS Blood and Transplant

NHS Blood and Transplant’s (NHSBT) 220 bluelight vehicles had just 17 at-fault collisions last year, despite collectively travelling more than 5.5 million miles.

The organisation attributes these results primarily to its ongoing driver training programme and the personal responsibility taken by its drivers to modify behaviour.

 It’s now hoping to reduce its road  accident tally further after installing  telematics.

When each new driver is appointed at the organisation, which delivers blood and blood products to hospitals nationwide, they are sent on a four-day course.

 This intensive programme provides each employee with ‘bluelight training’ and driving experience.

 Subsequently, each driver undergoes refresher courses every two years.

In addition, NHSBT fitted its 152 vans with TomTom telematics products two months ago.

This telemetry is now being monitored by NHSBT national fleet services manager Larry Bannon, who intends to use the  findings to amend, if necessary, the ongoing training programme and also send drivers on refresher courses if appropriate.

“We’ve witnessed year-on-year reductions in the number of accidents we’re having and we have no intention of resting on our laurels,” says Bannon.

“Initially, there was some suspicion among some employees that we would be using the telematics to keep an eye on them.

“After explaining to them and their union representatives that telemetry is simply another tool to help minimise accidents, there has been greater acceptance.

“Our drivers know that we are investing in them through training and telematics, and this is actively engaging them to keep  accidents to a minimum.”

CASE STUDY: NG BAILEY

Engineering, IT and facilities services company NG Bailey is actively working to ‘change the mindset’ of employees when they get behind the wheel.

Fleet manager Ronnie Wilson is encouraging staff to regard  themselves as professional drivers rather than electricians or plumbers for the  duration of any journey.

Wilson says: “When it comes to minimising accidents, my view is that you need to get the driver to take  responsibility for his or her actions.

“The best way to achieve this is by encouraging them  to view themselves as professional drivers when  travelling.

“In my experience, professional HGV drivers have a lot more discipline than normal van drivers – they carry out far more vehicle checks and take more responsibility for their vehicles.”

As part of this process, NG Bailey has been accredited  as a member of the Freight Transport Association’s Van Excellence scheme.

This provides fleet managers with best-practice guidance on areas such as driver behaviour and training, as well as vehicle condition and safe working.

“This scheme encourages colleagues to take greater responsibility for the vehicles they drive, from simple things like checking their tyres more often,” says Wilson.

“In addition, we aim to sit down once a year with and discuss safe driving practices as part of an ongoing programme.

“We are talking to our vehicle tracker provider to complement what they already do for us with a driver behaviour tool.

“This has the potential to emit an audible in-cab alert if it identifies inappropriate driving.”

Brake’s perspective on minimising crashes

Road safety charity Brake believes fleets must take a “holistic approach” to  minimising crashes.

It says isolated interventions are much less effective than creating “a road safety culture within an organisation”.

This culture begins with the creation and implementation of “robust safety policies”, the charity says.

Ellie Pearson, Brake’s professional engagement officer, says: “Safety policies need to be communicated clearly and continuously via a variety of channels, like talks, staff bulletins, briefing meetings and appraisals.

“It’s also vitally important that there is ‘buy-in’ to road safety throughout an organisation. There’s no point having a policy in place that isn’t respected by management or isn’t properly enforced. From initial recruitment, it needs to be stressed to drivers that safety is paramount.”

Pearson says that to effectively engage drivers, employers need to explain to them why rules are in place, rather than just dictating the rules.

“Driver training and development needs to be an ongoing journey, in which drivers are assessed on a regular basis and given additional training where necessary. Both on-the-road and classroom-based training have their place.”

Brake also advocates that employers look at other ways of monitoring drivers’  behaviour, such as psychometric testing, telematics and in-vehicle cameras.