Better Risk Data, Better Decisions, Better Risk Profile

Once upon a time a fleet never knew why its claims record was poor.  Indeed, some fleets just put it down to bad luck or simply the inevitable downside to being a successful company.

Then, one day, somebody in HR said, ‘shouldn’t we look a bit closer at why these accidents occur and shouldn’t we check out how legal and competent our drivers actually are?’

Somebody else in Health and Safety then went on to say, ‘wouldn’t it be great if we could monitor more closely what these drivers are really doing out there on the road?  Then we might be able to help them to avoid putting themselves at risk’.

The fleet manager then said, ‘so who exactly is going to analyse all the information we’re about to gather on all these things and then decide what to do about it?’

‘Well’, said the guys from HR and Health and Safety, ‘You are’.

This analogy is not far from the truth and of course, the entry point to any fleet is still via the fleet manager role even though HR and Health and Safety departments have an input.

 If we skip forward in time to the current day, the fleet manager is confronted by accident data from one supplier, licence check data from another, telematics data from another and a whole myriad of internal influences on how his fleet should be run.

Risk data arrives in different formats, at different times from different sources, which means the first job of consolidating it represents an ongoing technological challenge. The second job of analysing what the data tells the fleet represents a further time-consuming job for the fleet manager.

The third task of deciding what to do with the data requires judgement about the severity of the non-compliant data.  It also requires the setting of thresholds of acceptable risk and the knowledge of the available tools to remedy the risks that have exceeded those thresholds.

The fourth task is to put the remedies in place, which may need authority to invest from the Board.  It also needs somebody to co-ordinate the delivery of the remedy with the driver.

The fifth task is to measure the effectiveness of the chosen remedies to see whether the overall risk profile of the fleet has been improved.  This is not just a case of looking at the claims experience. It requires work with drivers to assess whether driving safety culture has changed within the fleet.

At the end of the day, with all the other responsibilities being carried by the fleet manager, it’s a fair bet to say these five tasks will, at best, be sporadic, which means something will be missed and that something may represent a major influencer of overall risk.  So, for this reason, fleets usually need external help from a risk management provider who specialises in consolidation and analysis of data.

RVM assists in this space and can be contacted on the number below if you’d like details of how we help our clients with these five risk-based tasks.

0113 224 8800

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Vehicle checks can’t be done from a remote location!!

In order to comply with UK legislation, employers need fleet drivers to adopt and apply their vehicle safety policies when driving on business.

In practice this means sticking to some straightforward rules whether driving a company vehicle or indeed a private vehicle being driven for business purposes.

These rules will include (amongst other things) routine safety checks, which the employer reasonably expects the driver to carry out.  After all, in the eyes of the police, such checks will be the responsibility of the driver, as opposed to the fleet operator.

So now we have a potential dilemma because although drivers are responsible (and may receive points and a fine), the impact of poor vehicle checking may impact the fleet in terms of increased risk of claims, downtime and cost.

So how could a fleet make sure these simple checks actually happen?   Well, here at RVM Assist we have decided to help by creating a checklist using the name of our business as a mnemonic device!  

·         Remember

·         Vehicle

·         Maintenance:

·         ACCIDENT Damage (dints, scratches, etc.)

·         SERVICING (fluid levels, scheduled checks)

·         SCREEN CHECKS (damage, wiper performance)

·         INDICATORS & OTHER LIGHTS (working, clean)

·         SEATBELTS (webbing, buckles, retractor, adjustors, markings)

·         TYRES (wear, damage, pressure, spare)

We appreciate that although these checks need to take place, many drivers cannot find time to complete them according to the detail and accuracy laid down in the safety manual.

So how do we create more time for fleet safety?

Well, at RVM we believe one of the problems is that Fleet managers are too busy dealing with matters that could be offloaded to outsourced providers, which results in them not having time to do those things that can only be done at a local level.

In other words, we can’t do certain functions from a remote location so part of our job is to take on work from fleets that can be done away from the coalface leaving local staff to focus on those tasks that can only be done locally.

This may seem to be a glimpse of the blindingly obvious but having the confidence to outsource or delegate requires the confidence to admit that you need help and not many people who are under pressure remember to use a white surrender flag when it’s appropriate because they think it’s a sign of weakness.  We don’t think that way at RVM Assist – you see……it’s in our name!

Reduce Fleet Risk to Make Savings

The fleet department understands what it is and why it’s needed.  The Directors aren’t sure if it’ll work, why it’s necessary or what it’ll save for the business”

If I had a pound for every time I hear this!

The truth is that a fleet risk proposal does come across as all ‘jam tomorrow’, or ‘certain cost: uncertain benefit’.

There are, however, a few truths that need airing:

1.       Duty of Care fleet compliance is a legal responsibility

2.       Increased driving safety will result in fewer road traffic accidents

3.       Claim frequency is the key factor controlling Fleet insurance premiums

4.       Driver training does actually work

The reasons why Directors postpone or reject the decision to invest in fleet risk management vary but normally fall into the following categories:

1.       It’s not in this year’s budget

2.       It should be done internally

3.       There are no guarantees of success

4.       A quick fix would be best

5.       We’ve had no problem so far

In reality, most fleets are trying to do something, which they hope covers the compliance angle but it can’t hope to tackle the claim frequency/insurance cost angle because:

1.       It has to be sporadic because it’s mixed in with other fleet initiatives

2.       It is uncoordinated because it’s usually covered by more than one department

3.       It is haphazard because there’s no consistency of approach to high risks

4.       It is ineffective in reducing fleet risk due to the problems of 1, 2 and 3

At RVM we have tried to tackle the concerns of Directors by amalgamating the risk program into one cohesive structure and by articulating what success looks like.  We are accountable for all our actions through our online Portal and regular review meetings and we construct a combination of services to profile and train a driver that is particular to each client’s circumstances.

It’s quick and easy to get a quote so why not call us to arrange a meeting.  RVM is 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.

“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.

Telematics is like a steering wheel

What does that mean?

Well, a steering wheel’s true purpose in guiding a vehicle round a corner or keeping it on the straight and narrow is not revealed until it is being used properly.  In other words connected to the front wheels so the driver can control the vehicle.

Similarly, a telematics system cannot help you to make decisions to change course or even stick to the one you are on unless it is used properly.  In other words, its true purpose is only revealed when somebody actually uses it.

They both look impressive from an engineering point of view but they are both useless unless they are used for the purpose for which they were both manufactured.

You may think this is a somewhat glib comparison but beneath the analogy there is in fact a serious and meaningful point for fleets.

Huge investment has gone into creating the telematics industry and even more money has been paid by fleets who have bought this technology.  The reasons fleets have bought into telematics range from a desire to protect assets to controlling drivers to reducing fuel costs to becoming legally compliant.

However, it has become clear to RVM that many fleets do not use the data that is available from the various reports, portals and alerts that this technology offers and this represents a symptom of a broader issue that is holding fleets back from making real strides forward in reducing risk.

Fleets are increasingly buying licence checking, claims management, driver assessments and telematics systems BUT the results available from all these providers are not being brought into one electronic driver safety file, analysed, acted upon and re-measured.

This is not really surprising because it is not an easy task.  To receive different data in different formats from different sources at different times requires a constant watchful eye, specialist software and risk expertise.

How does a fleet decide what is a serious risk, how does it consistently apply risk assessment, what remedial action does it take to reduce risk and finally, how does it measure whether such action was successful?

So the easy bit for a fleet is making sure these things are done.  The tricky bit is pulling it all together in a way that really adds value by reducing claim frequency, insurance premiums and increasing legal compliance and brand protection.

The answer to all these questions can be answered and is the specialist expertise of RVM Fleet Services.  We’d love to show you how we make fleet risk reduction easy for our clients so please  contact us now on 01132248888 or e-mail risk@rvmfleetservices.co.uk and we can arrange a short demonstration.

 

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.

 

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