Fleet Drivers: Average Distance Per Incident Decreases

Fleet drivers are covering fewer miles between collisions, a new study has found.

The research looked at the total distance driven by fleet drivers in the UK, including truck, taxi and van operators, and compared it with the total number of collisions in the UK.

It found that the total miles driven per collision was 740,000, which is a 19% drop from 920,000 when compared to the previous year.

The figures suggest that a fleet running 1,000 HGVs that each cover an average of 75,000 miles per year, which are standard figures for large fleets covering significant distances, they’d expect an additional 20 collisions per year.

That goes to show just how big the drop is…

Are Fleets Experiencing A Higher Volume Of Collisions?

When it comes to road safety, collisions and incidents are right at the forefront of all of our minds.

The safety of your drivers and of all road users is always the priority and one of the biggest risks to that is any collision of any sort while out on the road.

So, any rise in the frequency of collisions presents a significant concern and it’s one that the fleet industry should take heed of.

While each fleet owner will have individual safety protocols and data to look it, the fact that a wider industry figure is so prominent should also prompt concerns in the industry.

Interestingly, the news follows recent reports of drivers reporting an increase in aggressive and poor driving habits among fellow drivers on the road, which could be contributing to incidents.

That could be the case either for fleet drivers or for drivers of other vehicles on the road causing collisions with fleet vehicles, as we all know that HGVs and many larger fleet vehicles can be much harder to stop quickly in an emergency…

Such as to avoid a sudden collision.

Road Safety: What Happens Next?

Road safety appears to have been in the news in one way or another for much of the year so far… so what next?

With automated vehicle technology on the rise and EVs becoming more prominent as the months and years tick by, the question is how can we stay safe on the road in an ever-evolving world?

The future of policing on the road and the law around it has a big role to play.

By clamping down on aggressive and poor driving through automated technology including cameras, as well as by having a more significant police presence on the roads, authorities can improve road safety and help reduce the number of incidents fleet drivers and all drivers experience.

Harsher penalties for offences such as hogging the middle lane, not leaving a two-second gap to the vehicle in front and using handheld devices while driving could improve road safety and improve driving habits.

What do you think needs to be done to improve road safety? And have you noticed an increase in incidents or in poor driving habits and aggressive driving? Let us know in the comments below.