Alex Crane-Robinson, regional director UK & Ireland at Webfleet, explains why fleets should look beyond individual driver behaviour when considering work-related road risk.

Work-related road safety conversations often start with the person behind the wheel.

Are they speeding? Are they distracted? Are they taking enough breaks? Are they carrying out their vehicle checks properly?

These are all important questions. But the Government’s proposed National Work-Related Road Safety Charter could also prompt businesses to ask – does the way we organise work help drivers stay safe?

Ultimately, road risk can be influenced by decisions made long before a journey begins.

A driver who is regularly rushing between appointments or struggling to keep to an unrealistic schedule may already be under pressure before they exceed a speed limit or brake sharply.

To manage road risk effectively, businesses need to understand where these pressures are coming from.

Look behind the behaviour

Although driver behaviour data can highlight a problem, fleet managers still need to understand what’s causing it.

Coaching can help if a driver is repeatedly speeding, but it’s also important to consider their route or schedule and whether it’s putting them under unnecessary pressure.

The same applies to harsh braking. It might indicate poor anticipation, but if the same patterns keep appearing on particular journeys or at certain times of day, there may be something else contributing to it.

The same applies to fatigue, with regular breaks only possible if workloads give drivers enough time to take them.

Fleet data can help explain what’s happening behind the wheel.

Looking at journey times, mileage, routes, vehicle use and driver behaviour together can give managers a much better picture of the working day.

It might reveal, for example, that a particular route is regularly causing delays, or that inefficient job allocation is creating extra mileage and longer working days.

Look beyond the driver

Work-related road safety is influenced by decisions made throughout the business, from how routes and workloads are planned to how working hours, wellbeing and training are managed.

The proposed Charter could encourage businesses to take a closer look at how these decisions affect road risk, from how realistic schedules are to whether poor planning, vehicle downtime or recurring issues are making the job harder than it needs to be.

Although drivers remain responsible for their behaviour behind the wheel, businesses need to create the right conditions for safe driving.

Give drivers a voice

Data can only tell part of the story, which is why driver engagement is equally important.

If drivers feel that schedules are making it harder to complete routes safely, they should feel able to say so. The same goes for any concerns about their vehicle or working day.

When driver feedback and fleet data point to the same issue, there’s a much stronger case for changing how work is planned.

Fleet management platforms can bring patterns to light more quickly, helping businesses to make more informed decisions.

Make safe driving achievable

The National Work-Related Road Safety Charter is still at pilot stage, but it presents fleets with an opportunity to look again at how they manage road risk.

Although policies on the likes of speeding, vehicle checks and mobile phone use are important in setting the right standards, working conditions should support safe driving behaviour.

Fleets need to look at the pressures drivers are facing, as well as what happens behind the wheel.

This calls for making better use of the information they have available, listening to drivers and being willing to rethink how work is planned.

Ultimately, the way the working day is organised can have a direct impact on the decisions drivers make behind the wheel.