Small and medium-sized firms could benefit from a new resource pack that is aimed at boosting safety for those staff who need to drive for work by cutting costs and preventing crashes.
The pack has been put together by the road safety charity Brake and is aimed at small firms who either don’t have the resources or have the experience in managing road risk.
The resource pack can also be used by larger firms and associations to help their contractors, suppliers and members better implement road safety measures.
The pack has been produced with support from the Department for Transport.
Road safety is key for small firms
The charity says that managing road risk can have a huge influence on the bottom line for small businesses and so if they could avoid scrapes and minor bumps they will go a long way in reducing their insurance premiums.
Indeed, they can also protect reputational damage from the result of a serious crash.
Brake says that 30% of road deaths on the UK’s roads involve vehicles that are being driven for work and that road safety is increasingly crucial.
The pack includes guidance on how safety can be improved to not only save money but meet legal requirements.
Brake road safety resource pack will help
There are also advice sheets for drivers with simple steps on how they can protect themselves and other road users.
The pack also includes a PowerPoint presentation which highlights the procedures and policies on managing road risk and covers topics such as driver training and recruitment, vehicle checks and maintenance as well as journey planning.
The pack also has tools for promoting the firms that have pledged to protect its drivers.
The resource pack is free and available by filling out a form on their website.
Ensure your staff drive safely with resource pack
Brake’s deputy chief executive, Julie Townsend, said: “Ensuring that staff who are driving on work time are safe can deliver business benefits such as improved reputation and reduced insurance premiums.
“For many people at work, driving is a risk but work bumps and crashes can be a firm’s largest unpredictable cost so it’s vital they manage this risk.”
She added that for small firms the implementation of fleet safety practices can be daunting but the resource pack will show the simple steps needed for this to be done successfully.