By Martin Hiscox, CEO of Masternaut
Britain has been revealed as a nation of hidden business fleets, with a third of Brits who drive as part of their job shown to be clocking up 4,708 uninsured business miles per year whilst driving for work.
Furthermore, 70 per cent of British drivers claimed they aren’t given formal training or risk management by their employer, even though they regularly drive vehicles for work. The research, commissioned by Masternaut, also revealed that 40 per cent of British business drivers are not aware of any work-related road safety legislation.
It is shocking to see that 70 per cent of Brits driving as part of their job are not being trained to ensure they drive safely and efficiently, given that it's the employer's responsibility to ensure their staff are not a hazard to themselves or other drivers while driving fleet vehicles.
Although most journeys made are incident free, driving for work can be hazardous and these findings demonstrate a need for employers to educate staff on safe driving practices; there's no excuse when the technology and tool-kits for training, monitoring and improving driver behaviour exist now.
This also raises another issue for employers: if organisations don't have visibility of their mobile workforce, how do they ensure they are safe? How do they find problems and fix them? The telematics industry is making huge steps to help the commercial fleet but even now it is surprising that few employers offer their staff driver training to ensure they’re safe and increasing efficiency.
UK businesses and fleet managers can increase their workforce safety by applying telematics software. The technology is proven to improve safety, lower insurance premiums, and improve fuel economy – among other benefits. Our Masternaut Connect solution collates a vast range of information on vehicles and driver behaviour, giving businesses a thorough look at how they can improve their workers' safety.
Having that in-depth visibility of a fleet gives a huge amount of data that helps reduce accidents, speeding, harsh braking and vehicle idling. All of these elements combine to give the added benefits of cost savings thanks to better fuel economy.
Education through driver training should be central to creating a safer mobile workforce for any employer. The benefits are clear f and the intelligent application of telematics is central to giving drivers the best possible feedback and training.
