in association with
FUTURE OF FLEET | DRIVER TRAINING
A YEAR FOR CONTINUED LEARNING
Tony Greenidge I CEO I IAM RoadSmart
All businesses have become used to learning and adapting to new situations, and fleet decision-makers face a raft of challenges and opportunities as the provision of business mobility undergoes radical change. Vehicle replacement cycles, changes in emissions and tax rates, and the march of technological progress will require fleet decision-makers to keep at least one eye always focused on the horizon, flexing their approach according to prevailing conditions.
What is on the horizon? For all of us there will be the inevitable transition to cleaner fuel options led predominantly by EVs.
At IAM RoadSmart, ‘look well ahead to spot developing situations’ is something of a mantra, and the EV revolution hasn’t escaped our attention in the development of our courses. However, there have been other updates that may have escaped the attention of those with a responsibility for fleets and drivers, meaning 2022 will be a year of ongoing learning and development on the safety front too.
NEW GUIDANCE FOR BUSINESSES AND DRIVERS
In September, the Health & Safety Executive announced updates to its guidance on work-related road safety. Broadly speaking, business fleet policies must give due consideration to the safety of EVs and grey fleet vehicles and how they are driven. EVs require drivers to gain familiarity with the technology to ensure that they can operate, charge and maintain their vehicle safely; employers must take these factors into account when implementing EVs and the preference is that this is done at the point of delivery. As for grey fleet, this is an area often overlooked in terms of risk management processes. Stronger guidelines will require that businesses place greater emphasis on this in the coming year.
There will be learning points for drivers too. Due for publication in the New Year, the recent review of the Highway Code will include significant changes including a new ‘hierarchy of road users’ that places further responsibility upon drivers of vehicles with the greatest potential to cause harm to others in the event of a collision.
TAKING THE LEAD IN LEARNING
How business drivers will access these updates is a basic but serious question given that the majority will not have referred to the Highway Code since passing their test, and for some this will have been many years ago? Dissemination of clear information will be crucial. Smart motorways offer the perfect cautionary tale. In early November, the Transport Committee recommended that the roll-out of new smart motorways be subject to a moratorium (as IAM RoadSmart recommended over a year ago). Their report described the communication of the changes in design as ‘woeful’, noting that many motorists did not understand all-lane running, or the safe procedures for dealing with a breakdown.
This coming year employers will have the opportunity to take the lead in ensuring safer roads by being the conduit for this much-needed information. Development of the appropriate fleet policies, communicated easily to a workforce via e-learning or webinars, supported by robust driver risk assessment, will be crucial in reducing costs, both financial and human.
