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Seasonal signal to improve driver safety with training

ALD winter driving

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20 November 2017

A DRIVER survey by ALD Automotive has found that SME fleet operators could be missing out on the opportunity to improve driver safety with training.  And there’s no better time than the onset of wintry conditions.

The survey found that 62% of drivers have had no formal driver training. On digging deeper into the subject, ALD found that driver training was highly valued, with over a third who hadn’t been trained stating that they would like a better understanding of risk in order to improve safety.

For the 38% who had received training, 84% said that they would recommend it.

ALD managing director Mel Dawson said:  “The lack of formal driver training being offered may be down to the view that it is expensive or only necessary in a minority of cases.  But training is clearly something that drivers want, and fleet managers have a number of tools, such as telematics, to identify opportunities for specific training in order to avoid costly behaviour.”

“With the onset of wintry conditions, driver training is particularly relevant in poor driving conditions.  Fleets that don’t offer training are missing an opportunity to improve efficiency, reduce accidents and reduce running costs through lower fuel, maintenance and insurance bills, and it further demonstrates a duty of care to drivers.”

The survey, conducted over an eighteen-month period, also found that less than half of drivers (43%) had been asked to complete a simple health check to ensure that they are fit to drive for work purposes.

The ALD driver survey suggests that drivers are open to completing health checks, and are even in favour of Government legislation, with 81% saying they would support making health checks a legal requirement.

Dawson concludes:  “Fleet managers are well aware that they have a duty of care towards employees using cars for work, and carrying out a few simple health checks should be a standard element of a company’s risk assessment to protect drivers and other road users.”

The ALD driver survey was conducted on over 500 drivers, from different fleet sizes and across the UK, between April 2016 and October 2017.

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