Print VersionLicenced not to kill - Aug. '07
Businesses to be licensed to check driver’s risk behind the wheel
Bosses can now turn to the Internet to check the risk rating of their employees who drive on company business in a bid to cut the annual £3 billion bill for work-related road accidents.
Because more than half of the UK’s fleet drivers will have an accident during an average year, businesses are coming under increasing pressure to prove they are compliant with the increasing occupational road risk regulations.
To provide a factual profile of the specific risks faced by individual companies, leading fleet management provider Masterlease is launching an on line risk management and employee audit solution to cut the level of fleet accidents and help reduce the 1000 deaths linked to business driving.
In addition, Masterlease has added a new behavioural tool to its risk arsenal with bespoke psychometric risk analysis software, aimed at individual employees who drive on company business. Psychometric testing has a proven track record in HR and tailored business recruitment and the tool applies the same analytic principles to behaviours behind the wheel as those behind the desk, by mapping an individual’s driving style and, where appropriate, recommending specific remedial training.
The two comprehensive products – Fleet Risk Management and Driver Risk Management – are to be licensed by Masterlease for use by participating companies who want to assess the overall risk to their business and to reduce the threat of driver-related fatalities.
Fleet Risk Management is a tailored look at a company’s exposure to risk as well as individual employee profiles. It captures all legally-required data for staff driving on work business, including those using their own cars. At the end of a detailed corporate assessment it provides an easy to follow action plan to achieve occupational road risk compliance, a full audit trail that exceeds Health and Safety Executive requirements and easy-to-understand analysis of the company’s occupational road safety risk profile.
Driver Risk Management, provided by Peak Performance for Masterlease, is a psychometric based approach based upon 20 years of independent research conducted by Cranfield University. Companies can use it to meet their duty of care obligations through a comprehensive driving safety management system which should improve safety behind the wheel and cut costs including fuel and wear and tear on vehicles.
“Many companies will train their employees to use a £1000 computer, but not a £25,000 company car. They will not check driver’s own vehicles used for business where risks lurk, although more businesses do now check licences and insurance documents, “says Andrew Dawson, product and strategy manager for Masterlease.
“These two new services are very comprehensive solutions in terms of providing a total risk assessment for businesses who wish to comply with the growing raft of regulations. As well as reducing the risk of fatalities, the softer spin-offs are also beneficial including helping safer driving outside of work, reduced personal fuel consumption and a smaller carbon footprint,” adds Dawson.