Balfour Beatty Plant & Fleet Services champion road safety

Balfour Beatty Plant & Fleet Services is the most recent organisation to become a ‘business champion’ under the Government’s ‘Driving for Better Business’ safety programme due to its radical approach to road safety and reducing the number of road traffic collisions by its extensive fleet of vehicles.

Balfour Beatty Plant & Fleet Services operates a fleet of approximately 8,500 vehicles including 4,500 company cars, 3,000 light goods vehicles and 1,000 HGVs. In addition, the Derby-based company manages around 2,000 short-term contract hires every year for Balfour Beatty Group.

The company offers a comprehensive fleet service, incorporating both contract hire and fleet management solutions to Balfour Beatty Group operating companies. This service integrates expert advice, specialised vehicle specification, vehicle procurement, and the coordination of life-long servicing and maintenance requirements to suit the specific needs of their customers. Balfour Beatty Group currently operates in the region of 14,000 vehicles in the UK, ranging from company cars right through to custom-built HGVs.

Key to Balfour Beatty Plant & Fleet Services becoming a ‘business champion’ has been the introduction of a comprehensive four-stage driver risk management programme that is available to all Balfour Beatty Group employees and includes the introduction of a unique driving simulator.

Balfour Beatty Plant & Fleet Services considers road safety an essential part of its corporate social responsibility. Managing director Steve Farmer reinforces this with the message that ‘people are a company asset that cannot be replaced’.

The ‘Driving for Better Business’ programme is managed by RoadSafe on behalf of the Department for Transport, which is working with the police and a raft of other agencies to encourage companies and organisations nationwide to implement best practice occupational road risk management programmes.

According to official figures driving on business is the most dangerous task most employees undertake during their working life. Last year, Department figures revealed that 2,943 people were killed on Britain’s roads and almost 250,000 people seriously injured.

The Government estimates that there are 200 road deaths and serious injuries a week resulting from collisions involving at-work drivers.

A key feature of the ‘Driving for Better Business’ programme is the highlighting of best practice fleets, which are used to fly the flag for at-work driving safety and to spread the gospel of corporate road safety across business sectors.

Balfour Beatty Plant and Fleet Services Driver Risk Management programme is aimed at ensuring Balfour Beatty Group employees meet safe driving standards.

The programme is divided into four areas and is overseen by project manager James Burrows and delivered by fleet training manager Martin ‘Nobby’ Clark, an ex-Cheshire Police traffic officer.

The programme incorporates:

Drive Safe, Arrive Safe - a multitude of educational presentations and sessions intended to re-educate drivers in a variety of areas such as defensive driving, drinking and driving, drugs and driving, hazard perception, mobile phone use, and the human cost of road traffic collisions.

Company Driver E-Learning modules - drivers are required to complete a web-based e-learning module and assessment, demonstrating that they have reviewed and understood the content of the Company Car or Commercial Vehicle Drivers Handbook. The course targets all employees who drive on business - including own-vehicle and occasional drivers.

The Driver Risk Index (DRI) - is a web-based technology used to assess driver risk via a psychometric assessment, developed in close association with Cranfield University. The approach assesses driver’s level of risk on the road by taking into account situational, behavioural and attitudinal factors, and provides individualised psychometric profiles instantly via email. The individual driver profiles are then used to develop further tailored driver training.

The Driving simulator - is a pioneering approach to driver training used by Balfour Beatty Plant and Fleet Services to educate drivers. The Driving Simulator is seen as a dual-edged solution mitigating driver risk alongside enhancing fuel efficiency. The simulator sessions are designed to alleviate the risks identified by the DRI in conjunction with classroom-based driver safety awareness courses.

Steve Farmer added: “It is the ambition of Balfour Beatty Plant & Fleet Services to reduce the number of collisions and consequentially the total collision cost. Increased concentration on driver safety awareness and risk mitigation will significantly contribute to reducing the collision cost incurred. In addition there are many associated costs, which are not considered in this total. Insurance premiums would also reduce in correlation with a reduction in road traffic collisions”.

“We are delighted that the safe driving initiatives we have introduced have been recognised by the ‘Driving for Better Business’ programme. We will continue to strive to improve our fleet safety and hope that the actions we have taken will encourage other businesses to follow our lead.”

‘Driving for Better Business’ programme manager Caroline Scurr said: “Balfour Beatty Plant and Fleet Services has taken a radical approach to road safety and to reducing its own risk exposure, particularly with the introduction of its own driving simulator.

“The company is fine example of how a range of occupational road risk management initiatives and targeted solutions can be used to put in place a cycle of continuous road safety improvements that will benefit employees, their families and the wider community.”