Of the 15,753 crashes on the county’s roads in the last three years, one in four has involved a business driver – but few organisations realise just how much road crashes are actually costing them.
Now the Kent & Medway Safety Camera Partnership (KMSCP) and road safety partners have launched a fresh Driving Business – Safely! initiative to show companies that having a ‘driving for work’ policy isn’t just a legal requirement but could literally save them thousands of pounds.
The Partnership will have an outside stand at the Kent 2020 Vision LIVE exhibition on April 19 at the Kent Event Centre, Detling, where representatives from Kent County Council, Medway Council, KMSCP and Kent Fire and Rescue Service will be on hand to offer top tips and advice on how implementing a ‘driving for work’ policy can be economically beneficial and help businesses avoid prosecution.
“The true cost of road crashes to organisations is nearly always significantly higher than the resulting insurance claims,” says KMSCP Communications Officer Katherine Barrett.
“Research suggests that for every £1 recovered through insurance, £8 to £36 may be lost* via uninsured costs such as loss of reputation and contracts, loss of production, and legal fees, to name just a few.”
But the benefits of a ‘driving for work’ policy go far beyond what businesses can save by avoiding crashes. Companies that have already embraced the Driving Business – Safely! campaign have also seen a huge drop in the number of staff speeding tickets and significant reductions in fuel bills, fleet insurance, engine, tyre and clutch wear, as well as employee sickness absences.
Says Katherine: “For every driver that takes part in a fleet driver training course, for example, there is an 8.5% improvement in fuel efficiency^. That equates to five vehicles travelling 20,000 miles each year saving their company around £1,500 in fuel alone. That makes fleet driver training a long-term investment for any business, of any size.”
One company that knows only too well the benefits of Driving Business – Safely! is BAE Systems. The company, which has a site in Rochester with 1,000 employees, most of whom drive to work, is now in its third year working with the programme.
“BAE Systems has always had a good record concerning road safety, but since being involved with Driving Business – Safely! we have noticed a marked decrease in the number of speeding tickets,” says the company’s S.H.E and Security Manager, Paul Ashenden.
“In the last year we have seen a substantial reduction in speeding tickets. I’m sure this has been brought about through the raised level of knowledge of camera awareness and why they are there. We have also seen a significant drop in the number of business driving crashes. We will continue working with KMSCP and the Driving Business – Safely! initiative, because we have certainly benefited.”
Did you know?
Managing a ‘driving for work’ policy is a legal requirement under health and safety legislation and road traffic law.
The law doesn’t just apply to employers whose employees drive business-owned vehicles. It includes leased vehicles and privately-owned vehicles that are used as part of someone’s job (known as ‘grey fleet’).
Employees AND management can be prosecuted for road crashes involving work-related journeys, even when drivers are using their own vehicle.
The Partnership has produced a new booklet, Get a Grip, to explain how companies can implement an effective ‘driving for work’ policy. To receive a copy, email [email protected]. For further information about the Driving Business – Safely! campaign, visit the KMSCP stand at Kent 2020 Vision LIVE or go to www.drivingbusinesssafely.org