The Driving for Better Business campaign has awarded ‘business champion’ status to Hertfordshire Independent Living Service (HILS) in recognition of its safe driving policies.

HILS has seen a 43% reduction in annual collision/damage incidents as a result of installing telematics.

The not-for-profit charitable social enterprise, which provides meals-on-wheels and caring support for thousands of elderly, frail or disabled people in Hertfordshire, operates a 68-strong car fleet.

HILS took the decision four years ago to start equipping its cars, which are operated on three-year hire purchase agreements. As a result, the organisation has seen an improvement in driver behaviour and a 43% reduction in annual collision/damage incidents despite a 50% increase in the size of the fleet in the past 18 months.

HILS is now looking at introducing further pre-employment checks that focus on driver behaviour along with other safety initiatives including a ‘reverse-in’ car parking space policy when drivers are on site visits.

Driving for Better Business champion programme manager Melvyn Hodgetts said: “The safe-driving systems, policies and procedures introduced by HILS have clearly delivered cultural and behavioural change among drivers with clear benefits. Few employers operating fleets of this size recognise that the road risk facing their employees is equal to or greater than the occupational risk in the work they do.

“As a business champion, we will highlight the initiatives introduced by HILS and the resulting tangible benefits to influence other organisations to follow their lead.”

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