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86% of fleets have experienced road accident in past 12 months

So says the Institute of Advanced Motorists’ Drive & Survive division, which has found that a shocking 86% of fleets have experienced an accident in the past 12 months, while 100% of fleets have had an accident where one of their drivers was ‘at fault’.

IAM Drive & Survive surveyed fleet professionals within 100 businesses on their approach to and experience of accidents involving their fleet for report on ‘An analysis of bent metal amongst company fleets’.

The report was commissioned in autumn 2014, with top-line figures including:

Only 14% of fleets confirmed they had not had any vehicle incidents in their fleet in the last 12 months

Every fleet had suffered on-road incidents that were caused by their driver, i.e. an ‘at fault’ incident

Nearly half of all fleets said the average cost of repair per vehicle was over £1,000

Only 33% of fleets said at-fault drivers faced some sort of punitive measure, i.e. fine, excess payments, etc

Over half said they didn’t offer any post-incident driver training as a means of reducing the risk of repeat incidents

The report added: “Few provide any driver training as a way of reducing the chance of the driver having another incident. Is this a good situation for company, fleet, vehicle or driver?”

The figures follow an IAM Drive & Survive conducted a survey in 2014 which revealed 72% of people who drove for business reasons had been offered no training by their employer at all – even though 44% of them said they would welcome the opportunity.

IAM Drive & Survive also discovered that drivers of company vehicles are 25% more likely than company drivers using their own vehicles to have a minor accident.

Sarah Sillars, IAM chief executive officer, said: “Accidents involving company car drivers represent a sizeable proportion of accidents on UK roads – and it’s a problem which needs tackling in a meaningful way. “Fleet operators have a duty to their businesses, employees and other road users to ensure those individuals’ driving conduct is of the highest order. Often companies have full processes and procedures for Health and Safety, HR and Environmental best practice; but often none in place when the employees get behind the wheel of a car or van?”

IAM Drive & Survive’s report ‘An analysis of bent metal amongst company fleets’ can be downloaded by clicking here: http://bit.ly/1Hj0IfT

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Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.