The guidance, which includes a case study on how Speedy Services – winner of a Brake Fleet Safety Award for its safe vehicles – keeps its vehicles on the road, is published through Brake's Fleet Safety Forum, in conjunction with the Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE).
In 2012 (most recent data available), vehicle defects contributed to 2,123 crashes in Britain, 33 of them causing deaths. In 2012/13 the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which sets and enforces vehicle roadworthiness standards, found 38% of vehicles inspected through targeted checks at operator premises or the roadside had mechanical defects. The vast majority of these defects could and should have been detected through simple, quick pre-drive checks.
The guidance report “Maintenance and mechanics: how safe are your vehicles?” advises managers on simple, essential steps they can take to keep vehicles of any type driven on company business roadworthy, and outlines the consequences of poor maintenance and non-compliance with regulations. It covers educating drivers (including “grey fleet” drivers using their own vehicles) to spot and report problems, and ensuring vehicle technicians are trained and accredited.
The report is available for free to Brake subscribers or can be purchased for £5 by non-subscribers. Special offer: the first 25 non-subscribers to request the report through Brake's online form will get a copy for FREE.
To apply for a copy of the report, visit: www.brakepro.org/maintenance-report-14.
