According to the road safety charity, research shows that vehicle defects contributed to 2,125 crashes in Great Britain in 2011, 52 of them causing deaths.
A survey by Brake found outsourcing of vehicle servicing and repair is widespread: two-thirds (63%) of managers surveyed outsourced all their vehicle servicing and repair. Brake says it is therefore concerning that fleet managers who outsourced services and repairs were less stringent in their checks of mechanics working on their vehicles. Just half (52%) of companies using outsourced maintenance ensured mechanics' qualifications were checked and verified, and less than a quarter (23%) ensured regular training was provided.
Regular pre-drive checks of vehicles are also vital for ensuring that vehicles are safe for the road. This is equally important for all vehicle types, but seems to be taken more seriously by fleets containing large vehicles such as trucks or buses. All fleets operating larger vehicles required checks at least daily, but almost one in five (18%) managers of fleets with only smaller vehicles did not require their drivers to complete pre-drive checks at all.
The findings are included in Brake’s new report for fleet managers. Sponsored by the Licence Bureau and published through Brake's Fleet Safety Forum, the report also gives guidance on how fleet managers can ensure vehicles are safely maintained.
As part of its ongoing campaign for safer vehicles, drivers and roads, Brake is also running two essential training events for fleet managers on this topic in 2014, sponsored by IRTE. A seminar on maintenance and mechanics will be held in London on Wednesday 14th May 2014, followed by an online webinar on the same topic on Thursday 6th November 2014. For more information on these and other upcoming events, and to book, please visit www.brake.org.uk/events.
Laura Woods, research and information officer at Brake, said: ‘This report has highlighted worrying gaps in some fleets' management of vehicle risks. Brake urges fleet managers to make use of the advice in this report, and other resources available through the Fleet Safety Forum, to ensure they are not putting their drivers and other road users at risk by allowing dangerous vehicles on the roads.’
The Brake report on fleet maintenance available for free to Fleet Safety Forum subscribers, or can be purchased for £5 by non-subscribers. Special offer: the first 25 non-subscribers to request the report will get a copy for FREE, and a 50% discount on their first year's subscription to the Fleet Safety Forum. Please email [email protected] or call +44 (0)1484 559909 to order and quote “mm50” to take up this offer.