Is your grey fleet safe?

02 January 2013

The Fleet Safety Forum, a division of Brake, the road safety charity, has published new guidance for fleet managers on grey fleets. The guidance, sponsored by Romex, provides vital advice on how to minimise the risks and maximise the safety of grey fleet drivers.

Managing the grey fleet is a key safety issue fleet managers need to address. In the UK, employee-owned cars used for business are nearly seven years old on average and therefore do not benefit from the latest safety technology. This compares unfavourably with company cars which leave service on average after four years. Research by Brake has found that even among companies that subscribe to its Fleet Safety Forum, nearly one in three (32%) report their policies on vehicle checks and maintenance do not extend to grey fleet vehicles.

The guidance provides clear advice to help managers reduce risks associated with grey fleet drivers. It highlights the importance of providing alternatives to grey fleet use in the first instance, and if drivers do have to use their own vehicles for work purposes, subjecting them and their vehicles to the same rigorous safety checks and risk assessments as other company drivers. The guidance features a best practice case study of an operator that has taken steps to successfully mitigate the risks associated with grey fleet drivers.

The guidance is available for free to Fleet Safety Forum subscribers, or can be purchased for £5 by non-subscribers. Special offer: the first 50 non-subscribers to request the guidance will get a copy for FREE. Please email admin@brake.org.uk or call +44 (0)1484 559909 to order.

Roz Cumming, Professional Engagement Manager at Brake, says: “Employers have the same level of responsibility for the safety of grey fleet drivers as they do for those driving company vehicles. Managers must approach this proactively, minimising grey fleet use wherever possible. If grey fleet is used, managers need to ensure drivers using their own vehicles are risk assessed and receive the same training as other company drivers, as well as taking steps to ensure vehicles are appropriately serviced, checked and insured. This new e-guidance is a valuable resource for fleet managers: I’d urge anyone who doesn’t already subscribe to sign up to the Fleet Safety Forum to get access to it and many other resources like it.”

Elias Fattal, Managing Director at Romex, says: “For most employers the grey fleet is a blind spot when it comes to work related road safety, and a real risk to the company. But a telematics application like Romex that runs on mobile phones and incorporates ‘abuse management’ (to ensure employees are tracked the whole time they are at work) enables employers to make their policy on grey fleet a reality by measuring and analysing what goes on, as it happens. This includes controlling the use of mobile phones whilst driving – it can also be used for drivers in company vehicles with ‘black box’ telematics installed. With no hardware to buy or install in any vehicles and information every bit as accurate as ‘black box’ telematics, Romex can help employers manage key risks including speeding, fatigue and distraction - and save money in the process by validating grey fleet business mileage claims.”