The move means that smaller firms can now benefit from access to accident management that larger businesses enjoy.

SMEs can take up the service directly from Total or alternatively it can be offered through its contract hire provider. The SME has the benefit of someone taking care of the multiple stages of an accident management claim on their behalf, while the contract hire company has a value added reason to attract interest in their company with the capability to offer prospects a dedicated SME accident management service.

The service is tailored to the needs of a small business, and once the first contact is made to report the accident, Total take full control of the accident management process, meaning employers avoid lengthy conversations with insurers that can significantly increase off-road time and affect efficiency and profitability.

This first contact can either be on the phone or online via Total’s state-of-the-art Claims Portal and Total Response app that have been launched in the past year.  Both offer fleet drivers a straightforward, self-serving way to report their claim that further aids efficiency and takes the strain out of the accident reporting process.

Total will also proactively work with drivers within SMEs to ensure that they are looking after their vehicles, sending timely text messages such as a reminder of the availability of winter tyres now the temperature has dropped.

The firm says the product has already been made available through a “soft” launch, with five SME customers having signed up direct to receive all the benefits of the proposition, as well as a contract hire provider who is offering it as a white label service and another large contract hire provider that went live on 1st January 2014.

Across the small fleet customers, there has been an average increase of 43.2% in the volume of incidents reported to Total, showing SMEs are benefiting from the additional support and reporting streams which are now available to them.

Amanda Mullans, Total Accident Management operations director, commented: ‘We are proud to offer SMEs a full accident management service that was previously inaccessible. With nearly 1.2 million SME companies trading in the UK it is a huge market that has previously not been explored and we’re looking forward to offering our service to them.’