Educated, properly trained drivers are great assets to any business with a mobile workforce. When drivers are properly trained in safe driving methods, it holds great potential and benefit to the organisation in question.

That is why this month we wanted to explore some of the key benefits that driver training brings to a business, regardless of how large their fleet or how long they have been operating.

Decrease your vehicle downtime

Whilst there is no guarantee that even the best-trained driver will not have an accident, driver training is a good way to ensure that unplanned vehicle downtime with your organisation is kept to a minimum.

Not only does driver training help to ensure that your vehicles are always on the road, but it also helps to reduce the downtime of employees. If they are able to drive in a safe, calm manner, then the likelihood of them being off work with stress, or because of an accident, is reduced too.

Competent drivers reduce overall risk

When drivers have undergone adequate training, the risk to themselves, other road users and your business is substantially reduced. They will have been reminded of driving “best practices” and bad driving habits they may have picked up from other drivers can be nullified.

Not only that, but it also helps to prepare them for different situations they may encounter on the road. From adverse weather conditions to other irresponsible drivers, they will be prepared for most eventualities, and overall risk is reduced even further.

Adhere to your Duty of Care requirements

Regardless of whether a business consists of solely “grey fleet” vehicles or they have an in-house suite of company vehicles, implementing driver training helps to ensure that the business adheres to their Health and Safety and Duty of Care obligations.

If drivers have been provided with the right training and the company has an audit trail to prove it, then they are protecting themselves in the event that an employee has an accident as is found to be at fault.

Reduced fleet maintenance costs

This is particularly important if your organisation has to pay for on-going maintenance or repairs to grey fleets. When employees have been trained to drive in a safe, calm manner, then their vehicle is put under a lot less stress than before.

From controlling acceleration to selecting the correct gear, every action they take can help reduce the wear and tear on internal parts, thus reducing the cost of maintaining the fleet in the long term.

Minimised risk of corporate manslaughter charges

One of the benefits of driver training that is sometimes overlooked is that implementing driver training in the workplace can minimise the risk of corporate manslaughter charges, in the event an employee is involved in an accident and passes away.

The first place to start is for the company owner or the fleet manager to check against the Health and Safety at Work documentation, specifically at anything that relates to driving for work.

At the same time, they could:

• Have all employees who are required to drive undergo a risk assessment, by a suitably qualified assessor
• Use the results of the above risk assessments to tailor driver training, based on the employee’s individual needs
• Draw up, implement and communicate a safe driving policy within the workplace, which should include journey planning, vehicle safety checks, license checks and paperwork audits
• Keep all documentation up to date, so that it can be audited in the event of an accident
• Monitor and record all incident reports, no matter how large or small, and use these to further tailor driving courses

In summary, driver training holds many benefits for your organisation. From reduced vehicle downtime to on-going investment in your employees, it is definitely something that you should consider utilising.

If you are considering expanding your fleet or want to change the vehicles that your employees drive, then take a look at our full list of services below.

• New business car leasing
• Car leasing for foreign-owned businesses
• Business car leasing
• Car, van rental and Flexi-Hire
• Specialist vehicle leasing

Alternatively, you can get in touch with one of our operatives today who will be more than happy to talk you through the most suitable option.