Leasing company Arval has slashed incidents on its UK company car fleet to a record low through an in-house risk management programme.
Analysis shows that the incident ratio on its 200-vehicle fleet was 14.1% this year, compared to 40.0% when the programme started in 2006.
The number of incidents recorded annually has dropped from 146 to 24, while the total cost of collisions has reduced by three-quarters - from £98,970 to £25,900.
Tracey Fuller, Arval engagement manager, said: “The 14.1% incident ratio is proof that investing in a sustainable safety programme pays off. While it is not the only measure that should be used for fleet safety, it does give a good idea of the overall performance of a fleet.
“We are releasing these figures because they show that the fleet safety advice we provide to fleets works in real-world conditions and our own story is clearly proof of this principle.”
Fuller said that when it comes to fleet safety, it is a question of getting the basics right. This includes recording accurate data about incidents, drivers and vehicles, along with introducing measures to bring about improvements.
She added that measures might range from education campaigns about specific aspects of road safety through to monitoring the on-road behaviour of drivers and providing appropriate training.
Fuller added: “There is no limit to the effectiveness of these strategies. Where they are implemented with a genuine commitment from the board and effective policies, interventions and strategies, incident ratios should continue to fall as the safety culture of the business grows.”
