Britain has been revealed to be a nation of hidden business fleets, with a third of British drivers who drive as part of their job shown to be uninsured for business miles. On average, these drivers clock up 4,708 uninsured business miles per year whilst driving for work.
Moreover, 70 percent of British drivers claimed that they aren’t given any formalised training or risk management by their employer, despite regularly driving vehicles as part of their jobs. The research, commissioned by Masternaut, went on to reveal that 40 percent of British business drivers are unaware of any legislation surrounding work-related road safety.The fact that 70 percent of drivers in the workplace are not being given any form of training to ensure they drive safely and efficiently is shocking. It is the responsibility of the employers with a fleet of vehicles, to ensure their staff aren’t a hazard to themselves or other road users.
While the vast majority of journeys made are free from incident, driving for work can be hazardous and these findings clearly demonstrate a vital need for employers to educate staff on safe driving practises. And there’s no excuse. The technology, the tool-kits for training, monitoring and improving driver behaviour, all exist right now. This also raises a bigger issue for employers; if organisations cannot have visibility of their mobile workforce, how can they ensure they are safe? How can they put steps in place to spot problems and deal with them? The telematics industry is making huge steps to help the commercial fleet but even now it is surprising that so few employers are offering their staff the chance to take driver training, to ensure they’re kept safe whilst on the road and improving efficiency.
UK businesses and fleet managers can increase safety amongst their workforce through the application of telematics software. The technology is proven to improve safety, lower insurance premiums, improve fuel economy and brings many other benefits. Our own solution, Masternaut Connect, collates a vast range of information on vehicles and driver behaviour, giving businesses an in-depth look at how they can improve safety of their workers. Having that in-depth visibility of a fleet gives a plethora of data that helps to reduce accidents, speeding, harsh braking and vehicle idling. All this coming together has the added benefits of cost savings, in the form of fuel saved as a result of more economical driving. Education through driver training should be central to creating a safer mobile workforce for any employer. The benefits are clear for all to see and the intelligent application of telematics is central to giving drivers the best possible feedback and training.
