According to research, commissioned by fleet management specialists TomTom Business Solutions, 54% of companies have not introduced formal training to improve their employees’ driving style – even in the face of rising fuel prices.

A more economical driving style typically results in fuel consumption savings of around 14%, according to Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving (SAFED), the Department for Transport’s programme to improve standards among commercial vehicle drivers.

However, the study discovered that 35% of companies do not even offer their drivers fuel-saving tips, even though 83%believe their staff are guilty of speeding.

'Appropriate driver training can have a significant impact on a fleet’s cost base,' said Giles Margerison, director UK & Ireland for TomTom Business Solutions.

'Heavy acceleration, braking and excessive speed have the biggest negative impact on fuel economy and it is important employees are made aware of the knock-on effects caused by bad driving habits.

'Alongside company-set benchmarks for performance, fleet management tools are a cost-effective way to promote greener, safer, more efficient driving. Globally, our systems account for savings of around £1.3m each day.'

A further 80% of those questioned believed their drivers were involved in harsh driving practices but only 27% offered incentives for employees to improve their miles per gallon – and cut costs as a result.

Innovations such as OptiDrive and Active Driver Feedback from TomTom Business Solutions enable managers to set clear benchmarks and take measures to improve driver behaviour. Active Driver Feedback going one step further to actually inform the driver in real time so they can correct their behaviour on the move.

Managers and employees can together benefit from monitoring real-time and historic information on RPM, gear selection, fuel consumption and driving style, allowing them to correct inefficient or unsafe practices.

In addition, dynamic routing provided by live services such as HD Traffic and IQ Routes mean drivers can avoid wasting time and fuel sat in traffic, and get from A to B along the quickest, smoothest route.