FOCUS FEATURE
GREY FLEET IS MORE DAMAGING TO THE ENVIRONMENT
The majority of grey fleet vehicles are older than company cars and are, therefore, higher polluters. In the public sector, the average age of a privately-
owned vehicle used ’at work’ is 6.7 years. By comparison, the average age of a company car is around 18 months, based on the current trend of replacing company cars every 37 months.
GOING THE EXTRA MILE In a recent paper, Roddy Graham, Chairman of the Institute of Car Fleet Management, wrote that employers could insist as a matter of policy that grey fleet car users’ vehicles meet minimum safety standards based on European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) ratings. They could also insist cars are equipped with certain
safety equipment such as anti-lock brakes and stability controls. Regular and occasional vehicle safety spot checks should
be the norm as part of an employer’s duty of care responsibilities. To encourage safer driving, employers should consider changing driver behaviour and attitude. By influencing the way drivers actually drive through education, tips, training and awareness, they can not only reduce the accident risk but also deliver other savings in the form of reduced fuel consumption. Fleet policy should seek to reduce all ‘at work’ journeys
to a minimum by conducting a series of pre-journey assessments, challenging whether the journey is really necessary. If it is, the most economic form of transport should be chosen and car sharing considered.
TELEMATICS AND DATA RECORDING With safety becoming an ever more important topic, telematics firm Microlise has developed a set of tools for fleet operators. Although primarily used by van and truck operators, the
kit can be installed in any vehicle. Various levels of programme are available, including
tracking vehicles in real time and recording data in the event of an incident. “Having the information available can reduce a
company’s costs after an accident and help settle claims more quickly,” said Matthew Hague, Executive Director - Product Strategy, at Microlise. With hundreds of thousands of active live connections in
the UK and worldwide, Nottingham-based Microlise has developed a safety module which tracks and records key information as it happens. “By monitoring the speed, direction, accelerator position,
braking, ABS status, gears, cruise control and clutch, a complete overview of what happened immediately before and after an incident becomes available,” Matthew added. Real-time feedback, through the Microlise Driver
Feedback module, can also mitigate potentially dangerous driving behaviour as it unfolds. Customers who have implemented the safety module have
achieved reductions of over 90% in speeding and reduced incident levels by over 70%, leading to a significant reduction in claim costs and future renewals, the firm boasts. The telematics data can also protect drivers from falling
victim to insurance scammers who cause minor incidents and then file huge insurance claims. Leicester-based fleet management and vehicle leasing
firm Total Motion has, for some time, offered software packages intended to make fleet management easier. But it has now teamed up with software firm Jaama to
incorporate its Key2 package which enables fleet operators to track vehicle usage as well as ensuring they are safe and properly maintained. Simon Hill, Managing Director of Total Motion, said:
“Technology is essential for the fleet industry and those who operate in it. Managing risk, maintaining vehicles and ensuring that drivers are completely compliant when it comes to health and safety is a challenge that constantly faces fleet managers and Jaama’s software has allowed us
32 business network February 2016 Skid training at Millbrook Proving Ground
to ensure our clients are aware of the safety risks fleet management can pose.” Another Chamber member is claiming an automotive
first in terms of data capture. Parksafe Automotive, of Ripley, has devised a password-
protected Silent Witness dashcam which offers all the protection of any other camera but, in the event of an incident, will release its data only to the password holder and only when connected to a computer. Without the password, anyone attempting to tamper
with the data would be unable to see any of the recordings held in the camera’s 32gb memory. “We feel that this unique password-protected camera
will bring a whole new experience to CCTV for vehicle market, allowing managers to have full control of the video footage,” said Business Development Manager Liam Barber. Motoring safety charity Brake has started running
webinars on using telematics in fleet vehicles. Telematics can be an incredibly useful tool for fleet managers, providing insight into driver behaviour and fuel consumption, according to Brake. Ellie Pearson, Professional Engagement Manager, said:
“Telematics can offer fleet managers a valuable insight into fleet safety and sustainability, and it’s vitally important that fleet managers know how to maximise the benefit of their telematics data, and use that data to continually evaluate and improve.”
COURSES IMPROVE SAFETY FOR CYCLISTS Cycling charity RideWise, which provides free cycle training to residents of Nottingham, also delivers practical training as part the Safe Urban Driving (SUD) course for HGV drivers. As part of the Sustainable Travel Collective, it delivers
the SUD course on behalf of national fleet management company Fleet Source. Fleet Source is Transport for London’s principal training
provider of the SUD course, which is now becoming a requirement to meet many industry initiatives. The two organisations have paired up so that Fleet
Source delivers the classroom-based theory and RideWise provides the practical training session, where drivers get on bikes and get a cyclist’s view of the road. The practical sessions are led by experienced RideWise
urban cycle instructors and drivers have the opportunity to discuss and question how cyclists use and should use the road. Ian Hutchinson, Head Instructor at RideWise, said: “We
see a transformation of driver’s attitudes towards cyclists on the road after they have completed the practical ‘on- road’ cycle training.”
USEFUL INFORMATION ONLINE
Health and Safety law
www.hse.gov.uk/roadsafety/law
Health and Safety practical tips
www.hse.gov.uk/roadsafety/practical
Health and safety managing the risks
www.hse.gov.uk/roadsafety/manage
‘Telematics can be an incredibly useful tool for fleet managers, providing insight into driver behaviour, fuel consumption, and many other useful areas’
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