THE company for driver risk management

D&S WINS 2008 BUSINESS CAR RISK MANAGEMENT AWARD

For the second year in a row, Drive & Survive has been awarded the BusinessCar award for best Risk Management Supplier.

Drive & Survive aims to position itself as an expertise resource, working alongside customers to help manage their business more effectively. It recognises the commercial realities of everyday life – although it obviously assists with duty of care compliance, and knows that the biggest influencer in the decision to implement a driver risk management programme will invariably be the effect it can have on fleet running cost savings.

All the awards are voted for by the readers of BusinessCar magazine, website and email newsletters, so it’s the people that are using the products on a daily basis who make the decisions.

BusinessCar Editor-in-Chief Tristan Young said: “Risk management is an increasingly important topic for business car managers and it’s clear that Drive & Survive is delivering the goods. Any well-managed fleet will be aware of the need to take every step to protect their drivers and the votes from BusinessCar readers show that Drive & Survive is giving the industry what it needs.”

Accepting the award on Drive & Survive’s behalf was Sales Manager, Ryan Brittain, who commented: “Selling safety has never been an easy task but we know, beyond any doubt, that what we do works in every area it touches and to be recognised (again) by our clients in this way really does make the efforts worthwhile. Thank you!”

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TIME TO LIGHT UP

A study, commissioned by Esure insurance, has found that more than half of British drivers (54%) admit to having forgotten to turn on their headlights when light conditions and/or the law demand it at least once in the past year.

Even more worryingly, more than a million motorists admitted that they had crashed, made an emergency manoeuvre or had a near miss as a direct result of the failure to put their headlights on in the dark!

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300,000 YOUNG DRIVERS READY TO CRACK THIS WINTER

Young drivers risk cracking their windscreens this winter as a third of them – some 300,000 drivers - attempt to clear them of ice by using hot water, according to a survey from car care specialists, Comma.

As the temperatures plummet and millions of motorists attempt to give themselves a good field of vision before driving to work, 30 percent of motorists between the age of 19 and 21 admit to using hot water to clear their windscreens – a practice which could result with the glass cracking due to the sudden change in temperature.

Younger drivers appeared to be the most unprepared of all those surveyed, more likely to use items such as credit cards, fingernails, books and even CD cases to clear their windscreen.

By contrast, drivers in their 50s are more likely to use the traditional ice scraper and a bit of elbow grease with 71 percent of them doing so, compared to 40 percent of young drivers. Middle-aged drivers are also least likely to damage their windscreens, with only 9% using hot water.

“Young drivers have been accused of putting their cars at risk on the road, but they’re also doing it before they even start the engine,” says Comma’s Mike Bewsey. “In cold weather, everyone needs to take a bit of time to clear the window. A scraper should be an essential item in the car, along with a bit of de-icer for when the ice is really stubborn.”

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DON'T FORGET GET THE 6TH APRIL!!!

Our friends at FSG, and their RiskMaster programme, continue to raise awareness of forthcoming changes in legislation and invite you to attend one of their breakfast meetings in association with SunGard PS at which iRIS, an innovative, cost-effective tool will also be introduced. iRIS manages the journey, the vehicle and the driver by combining advanced in-vehicle telematics with the award-winning RiskMaster. In February and March, these free breakfast meetings will be held at: Forest of Arden, Bradford, Huntingdon, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Bristol, Newcastle, London, Belfast and Manchester. Click on the links below for further information and to download your invitation.

Breakfast meetings - Explanatory letter

Breakfast meetings - Invitation/reply form

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ANOTHER IRRESISTABLE OFFER

On a car allowance or cash for car scheme? How about this great deal from our friends at AFL.

Call AFL on 0800 458 0113, ask for Laura and quote Drive & Survive offer. If you enter into an agreement with AFL, you'll receive £25 in M&S vouchers!

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FREE 'MANAGING ROAD RISKS' SEMINARS

Our first Open Day of the year, to be held at Donington Park at the end of March, is fully subscribed, however we are also offering a series of free 'Managing Road Risk' Seminars.

We can come to you as we have full UK coverage, all we ask is that you supply the venue, a laptop projector and screen.

Further details by clicking HERE

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MORE TIRED MOTORISTS CHOOSE TO KEEP ON DRIVING

Two thirds of British drivers who took part in a survey by Motorpoint, the UK’s leading car supermarket group, confess to having been so tired behind the wheel that they could easily have fallen asleep.

And more than a quarter of those asked said they would not stop for a fatigue break, preferring to drive on and to try to stay awake.

This is a high risk approach according to both the Department of Transport and road safety charity Brake. Government figures estimate that six people are killed in accidents caused by tired drivers every week. Research by Brake confirms that one in ten drivers who drive for work actually fell asleep at the wheel during 2007.

Motorpoint managing director David Shelton commented: “All the indications are that this is an even more common issue than has been previously recognised. Drivers know when they are feeling sleepy, so making the decision to stay on the road is a real choice. There is a lot of very good advice out there on how to deal with tiredness at the wheel. The question is whether the people who drive on are underestimating the risks or simply ignoring them.

“Road safety is an important topic for us. That’s why we became the first car retailer in membership of RoadSafe. We sell thousands of cars every year to customers that we want to see again.”

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RISK MANAGEMENT CAN CUT FLEET INSURANCE PREMIUMS

“Any organisation that doesn’t have a risk management system in place is under threat of spiralling insurance costs and if they don’t have a system in place, now is the time to act.” says Gary Donoghue, Fleet Director of LFC Insurance Group, one of the largest independent insurance brokers in the UK.

According to Gary, fleet insurance is a key area where risk management can cut premiums.  For the last three years, the fleet insurance market has been very competitive, and as a result, insurers have cut premiums to the bone.  But Gary feels that the honeymoon is over and premiums will increase significantly over the next 2 years.

Gary says: “These increases can be off-set with risk management. If the risk is running badly, i.e. numerous and/or expensive claims, the underwriters will apply higher insurance premiums. But if we can reduce the risk, then the premiums will drop accordingly.  My job is to sit down with the fleet managers and look at what is going wrong.  We have to look at the record of accidents and how they could be prevented – are they caused by driver error or attitude, the type of vehicle or sheer bad luck?”

“I know of one particular company, who a few years ago were paying £1300 per vehicle.  I recommended they sent their drivers on a training course to improve their driving ability and attitude.  The results were staggering – within three years, their vehicle premium had reduced to £600.”

Here are Gary’s top tips for reducing insurance premiums:

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AND FINALLY

We have a limited number of Drive & Survive training logbooks on offer. These provide a wealth of useful driving hints and tips and can be used by drivers as memory-joggers, sources of new information and note-taking. If you’d like one or some of these at a price of £1.50 (the new Highway Code is £2.49!) each, let Sarah.horne@drivesurvive.co.uk know your requirements.