Van Drivers, is enough being done to ensure their safety?

Commercial vehicle and fleet operators are clearly aware of their legislative requirements when it comes to the management of road risk. Recent research has discovered that 91% include work-related road safety within overall health and safety policy, and 97% conduct regular vehicle safety checks.   If you think about it, a commercial vehicle can be regarded as a workplace, so employers have a duty of care towards their staff in making sure risk related to this environment is as low as possible. They can do this through scheduling regular maintenance checks, to ensuring loads are properly secured and ensuring the vehicle does not exceed weight limits. In general, insurance premiums for fleets have risen, but if operators have a handle on the issue, why are insurance premiums on the rise? Almost half of those who participated in the recent research say fleet insurance premiums have risen over the past year. A situation they believe could possibly be avoided through an even more comprehensive approach to risk management of fleets. Rather than focusing solely on their legislative requirements, companies could be better served by going for a best practice approach. Schemes such as the Freight Transport Association’s Van Excellence programme have been forged for this reason, encouraging commercial fleet operators to go one step further by guaranteeing the highest possible operational standards. Further than establishing a road safety policy and conducting vehicle checks, the scheme involves a greater examination into the behaviour of the drivers themselves. Currently, a third of all road accidents are believed to be work related and driver error remains one of the major causes of road collisions. Just 44% of those surveyed use technology to monitor driver performance but all agree that it can act as a particularly powerful mechanism for improving safety, reducing collision rates and controlling insurance premiums.   Management are given access to actionable data regarding all aspects of driving performance, allowing them to identify instances of speeding or harsh steering and braking similar to telematics that has been introduced by some private motor insurance companies. Real-time feedback also allows the driver to make changes as they happen, through audible alerts on their in-cab navigation device. Aligned with driver training, insight that can be provided through technology becomes even more valuable. The data highlights areas where particular attention is needed, allowing training budgets to be allocated more efficiently and drivers to be coached through any issues they may be having. The result is a safer, more efficient workforce and a significantly reduced risk profile. The ability to demonstrate such improvements to an insurer could also mean a reversal of the current trend in insurance premium costs.   At Insuremyvan.ie we do not use tracking devices to calculate insurance premiums, but we continue to drive in the opposite direction when it comes to fleet insurance premiums. We believe in offering the best and cheapest policy available to you, while keeping the same or better level of cover, in order to keep your costs down. We have a team of specialists who have very strong relationships within the industry and as such are able to offer you the best insurance premiums on the market. If you would like to get a low cost fleet insurance quote you can contact our team now on 01 660 6900 or you can fill out our quote online form and we will call you back and discuss the best options and policy for your business. As well as providing Fleet Insurance, we also provide great rates and cover for Van Insurance, Truck Insurance and Public Liability Insurance.   Below you can see some of the findings that came from the recent research.