October 9, 2009
Many Fleet Managers Still Not Enforcing Safety Requirements
Essential measures required for reducing the rate of road accidents are not being followed completely. This was found after Aviva, an insurance company, undertook a study to see what fleet managers have been doing over the past three years in order to prevent accidents caused by their drivers while on road.
Aviva found out that close to 50% of fleet managers still do not pay attention to the safety record of a driver before hiring him. This is a very dangerous trend according to Steve Shirley, Aviva’s commercial motor risk manager. In a market that is extremely competitive, it is important to look into a driver’s history before recruiting him rather than just believing his words.
Another important factor that is often ignored while recruiting a driver is his eyesight. In fact, the percentage of fleet managers who enquire about eyesight while recruiting has gone down in the last few years.
However, the study reveals that there are areas where improvement has been witnessed. People now realize that it is important to manage the schedule of the drivers in such a way that they are not exhausted on the road and can concentrate properly. According to Shirley, it is very important to give every driver a break after two hours of driving. This can be achieved if the fleet managers mandate such requirements and ensure that after driving a particular distance, the driver gets some rest and overnight accommodation. The practice of providing a driver with a handbook is catching on, with more fleet managers making this a norm.
It has been found that the percentage of fleet managers who have implemented such safety policies has increased by 20% in last three to four years. However, this is not sufficient, and according to Shirley, it is important that all fleet managers follow these policies.
Companies need to be sure that they are giving the correct instructions to employees with regard to health and safety issues - click CIPD Training - for courses to help Management manage safety and learn how to promote a positive health and safety attitude in the workplace.