“Driver Licence Checks – just a compliance issue or actually much more than that?”

Clearly, it is important to make sure that your main fleet and grey fleet drivers are legally allowed to drive.  That much is obvious and demonstrated by the fact that most fleets now have a formal checking procedure in place.   

However, a licence check result can do much more than perform a simple compliance test.  Indeed, the results can be more meaningful when set alongside the results of other types of driver metrics such as a claims history, online driver assessments or indeed the most recent telematics data feed. 

Consider for a moment that a licence check can represent confirmation or denial of discovered driving habits, it can reinforce decisions about types of remedial action as well as prompt training needs such as speed awareness, mobile phone policy or familiarity with UK road signs. 

Ultimately, a licence check result may also uncover high risk endorsements that link with driver attitude and which may prompt the creation of a specific in-vehicle training course that contains material designed to address that particular type of risk. 

If a fleet uses licence check results in isolation then important improvement opportunities may be missed.  That means any remedial action taken (in good faith) may contain the wrong messages given to the wrong drivers, which will have no impact on reducing insurance costs or claim frequency.

Therefore if you would like more information on how to enhance your Licence Checking data, call us now on 01132248800 or e-mail us at info@rvmassist.co.uk

At RVM our integrated approach allows us to help fleets to implement effective safety policies, analyse trends and identify high risk drivers. Our Driver Training program is targeted, timely and appropriate. The result is lower accident rates, improved driver safety, and reduced costs


 

How best to blend internal and outsourced fleet risk reduction strategy

As we constantly speak to fleets it is clear that everyone has differing views on what fleet risk functions should be performed internally and what might be suitable to outsource.

In addition, it seems HR, Health & Safety and Transport can easily conflict with each other as they wrangle over what elements of risk relate to employment, to safety and to vehicles.

Some businesses form a committee of all three in order to overcome these conflicts and map out a strategy that suits all three departments but this is just for oversight and doesn’t overcome the question over who is actually going to perform the operational tasks involved.

That’s when the question of available internal resources becomes relevant, so….

“WHO DOES YOUR RISK MANAGEMENT?”

A good question to ask.  Who does indeed do it? Which department and which supplier?

The problem here is that Fleet Risk Management is not a weekly or monthly task.  It’s constant.  People are driving for business and under the fleet policy every day of the week.

That means information about what is happening on the road is coming in all the time.  Some of that data needs addressing straight away, other matters can be dealt with later.

So whatever resource is utilised to deal with this issue, it needs to be both specialist in nature and constantly available.  On that basis an outsourced solution would be perfect if such a supplier could link in seamlessly with the strategic risk reduction objectives of that particular fleet.

If that link is perfect then the Fleet can simply appoint the committee of three departments to use their oversight abilities to control the quality of the risk management supplier’s work. 

However, if elements of the strategy need outsourcing to different suppliers there is an immediate job required internally to ‘consolidate’ the risk data from the different suppliers and the benefit of outsourcing is immediately weakened.

It is for these reasons that RVM has constructed its Full Circle fleet risk program to include ALL the elements that a fleet would outsource so that no data is excluded.  Also the Full Circle program is always constructed to match the strategic goals of the fleet so we’re all pulling in the same direction.

RVM manages claims, driver training, grey fleet and telematics data using only in-house teams.  The in-house teams also co-ordinate the supply and analysis of the online products and licence checks.

 

The scope of RVM’s Full Circle risk solution makes it the most comprehensive on the UK market and all 6 elements are brought together via our online portal that gives access to driver safety records that include detailed data on all aspects of the program.

If you are considering how to optimise the way you control the cost of your fleet risk then why not give RVM a call.

If you would like to know more about creating, implementing or administering a risk redcution stratergy then call RVM on 0113 224 8800 and speak to our head of risk, Angela Sorley.

At RVM our integrated approach allows us to help fleets to implement effective safety policies, analyse trends and identify high risk drivers. Our Driver Training program is targeted, timely and appropriate.  The result is lower accident rates, improved driver safety, and reduced costs.

“Fleet risk strategy …… how to see the wood for the trees”

"So how am I supposed to pull all this fleet risk data together and come to some sensible conclusions when I have all these other fleet responsibilities to deal with?"

The feedback we get from fleets is sometimes relating to ‘why invest in Risk management’, but more usually it’s about lack of resources – not just time resources but also expertise in deciding what’s the best course of action.

Of course, it’s easy to outsource claims, licence checking, telematics, driver training and online assessments BUT fleets don’t always realise they are creating a monster in so doing.

The reasons are as follows:

·         Risk data starts pouring in via portals, emails and hard copy reports

·         The data comes in at different times of the year and in different formats

·         It’s not always clear what the data is trying to say so analysing it is time-consuming

·         How to decide what represents a high risk and what should be done about it, is a problem

·         Having dealt with high risk drivers, how do you make sure the action taken, has worked?

Managers with fleet responsibilities usually have other functions to perform so it is not easy to find time to bring all of these Fleet Risk elements together in a way that maximises their effectiveness.

Indeed, very often the three departments of Fleet, HR and Health & Safety will take responsibility for different elements of the road risk program, which further complicates the harmonising of data and often results in missed opportunities to reduce risk.

So, apart from lack of time, internal risk expertise and departmental structure issues, most fleets also lack the other key element to make a risk program successful and that is a satisfactory electronic receptacle into which they can deposit all the risk data and also check that none of it exceeds the organisation’s minimum risk levels.

The net result of all these hurdles for a fleet is that risks get overlooked, which is not only dangerous, it risks the fleet becoming guilty of ‘willful blindness’. Furthermore, some fleets actually choose to turn a blind eye to high risk data because even if they know what to do about it – they often don’t have the time or resources to resolve it!

This is where the outsourced risk management industry is able to lend a hand in planning a program that is fit-for-purpose in terms of available budget and program objectives.

At RVM we build tailored risk management programs for fleets based on what priorities the fleet has identified.  These range from the very simple to the most complex depending on fleet profile, what needs outsourcing and what stage of the risk journey the fleet is currently at.

We work on raising safety culture levels within a driving population and by offering a supportive approach to improving drivers’ skill, habits and on-road behaviour. 

The upside is that by choosing an approach that is designed to seek and iron out bad driving habits, a fleet will gain the support of its drivers, which in turn means its high risks can be identified and worked upon. 

Additionally, this will show that a duty of care exists and a better claims record will follow.  Insurance costs will come down and driving safety becomes second nature and integral to the driving culture. Wilful blindness won’t be possible and won’t therefore be a threat.

In our experience, when a fleet chooses to invest in our approach, it wants a positive and tangible benefit in return and this is why, at RVM, our efforts are focused on our mission to reduce accident frequency. 

So don’t choose to rely on lady luck when you renew your fleet insurance policy. Take a more positive view by controlling fleet risk with RVM as your guide and partner. Learn more about what options are open to you and at what cost by calling RVM on 0113 224 8800 or contact us here or e-mail us on risk@rvmassist.co.uk

At RVM Assist Ltd our integrated approach allows us to help fleets to implement effective safety policies, analyse trends and identify high risk drivers. Our Driver Training program is targeted, timely and appropriate.  The result is lower accident rates, improved driver safety, and reduced costs.

Running a Fleet. How risky is it, really?

In the light of recent contradictory court decisions involving corporate manslaughter by fleets, maybe the question is now: What, in the hierarchy of a fleet's needs, is the more important: health & safety compliance or reduced claims experience? Or are they just as important as each other?

The work involved in achieving the latter usually means automatic success in the former but not necessarily the other way round. In other words, it is quite possible to comply with health and safety law but still have a poor claims record. 

Indeed, it is easy to measure claims experience but not so easy to know if your fleet safety measures are enough to avoid prosecution for a lack of duty of care. So what does a fleet do?  

It certainly seems easier to comply legally than reduce claim frequency and that may be why most fleet insurance premiums are on the rise.  Some fleets choose to look at a few licences, issue a fleet safety policy and hey presto - compliance is ostensibly achieved. 

This may or may not be true; however, if what you want is to reduce claims, a fleet needs to know what and who have caused the claims historically and likewise who may cause them in the future and why. To do this accurately a fleet needs to embrace as many tools as possible to identify which drivers pose the greatest risk and then take appropriate steps.  

The chosen tools usually include checking licences and assessing drivers online but to maximise the chance of success, a fleet should also include claims data and a telematics feed, which are both factual and constant. The issue then is who gets the data and how do you bring it together to draw the correct conclusions? 

So you've gathered the data, so to whom do the risks point? Why? How serious is it? What might be the appropriate cure? When should it be administered? By whom? With what result? 

All these questions can be answered on behalf of a fleet and they demonstrate why most fleets need help in this area from a specialist fleet supplier that can link closely with fleet drivers to make sure money spent on assessing and training drivers’ results in a reduction in claims experience and an increase in duty of care. 

  

At RVM Fleet Services our integrated approach allows us to help fleets to implement effective safety policies, analyse trends and identify high risk drivers. Our Driver Training program is targeted, timely and appropriate.  The result is lower accident rates, improved driver safety, and reduced costs.

Contact us now on 01132248888 or e-mail risk@rvmfleetservices.co.uk to find out more.

 

Is your fleet risk reducing?

Are you in this position yet..?

• Accident management is in place
• The drivers are being trained
• The on-line driver assessments are being completed
• Grey fleet is under control
• Licence checking company is operational
• Last year’s claims statistics are available
• Appointment in the diary with the FD to review next year’s insurance costs
• Fleet size is more or less the same as last year
• All road risk data has is available in one receptacle
• The board remains committed to reducing road risk

Is your fleet risk program working?

Now, what we need to look at is whether the program is working and whether fleet risk is reducing. The answers to these questions are more complex than you might imagine.

Points to consider…

• What information is available from whom and in what format?
• Who will have the responsibility of collating this data in such a way that useful conclusions can be drawn?
• When should this exercise take place given that the insurance renewal dates may different to the financial year end and outsourced services will have varying review dates?

Whilst some fleets are now in this position many fleets will recognise from the above statements that they are not yet there. In practice there is more than one way gauge the success or failure of a road risk program.

How to gauge the success, or failure, of your road risk program

The following list may represent some good clues as to how to gauge the success or failure of a road risk program:

• Are insurance costs rising
• Feedback from drivers shows that the safety culture is more evident than previous years
• Are there more high risk or fewer high risks being identified as a part of the assessment stage
• Is claims frequency higher or lower than last year
• Are overall costs associated with claims rising 
• Do fault claims represent a higher or lower proportion of last year’s claims  
• Is the nature of the fault claims more or less serious than last year
• How many injuries have been incurred (own driver and third party)
•  Do total losses pose a financial threat
• How many more penalty points have drivers incurred compared last year

 

Pause once a year to reflect

These are just some of the examples of ways in which the effectiveness of a road risk program can be measured.

Of course best practice would indicate that fleets should pause once a year to reflect on the answers to these questions before starting the process of constructing the following year’s road risk program. 

Take a new approach

The Full Circle risk management program from RVM Fleet Services represents an exciting new approach to the way Fleets consume risk services.

In answering the points raised above, Full Circle can offer:

• A truly integrated and bespoke program
• Transparent view of the effectiveness of the chosen program
• Guaranteed service delivery by personal risk managers direct to drivers

 

For more information about Full Circle, or any of our fleet services, please contact us on 0113 2248888.

Gallagher Heath (retail insurance division) intends to develop closer links with RVM Fleet Services to provide fleets with a new approach to road risk management.

After working together successfully to bring tailored and specialist solutions to some of the fleet clients of this prominent and progressive broker, RVM Fleet Services is pleased to be able to broaden the scope of its arrangements.

David Plowman, Head of Risk Management at Gallagher Heath (Retail Division) commented:

 “Gallagher Heath Risk Management offers an audit service to our clients in relation to motor fleet risk management systems; these usually highlight a number of areas where elements of the (RVM) Full Circle product can be utilised. We have worked in a joined up fashion on a number of cases in the past…. and…. I would like to go down the route of formally considering an agreement to introduce RVM on our fleet book of business”

In response, Diana Rose, MD of RVM Fleet Services commented:

 “Our partnership with Gallagher Heath represents an enlightened approach by a major broker towards managing fleet road risks.  The partnership is a perfect fit as Gallagher Heath offer the risk consultancy advice and can follow through by delivering the solution via RVM.  Strong logic draws us together through our mutual desire to reduce the cost and frequency of road traffic accidents."

Full Circle represents a truly integrated approach to Road Risk Management in the way it is constructed and delivered.  It is made up of the following five service options:

• Driver Profiling
• Licence Checking
• Grey Fleet Monitoring
• Accident Management
• Driver Training

For more information visit www.rvmfleetservices.co.uk or contact us on 01132248898.