How to handle a fleet incident: At the roadside, from the office, and the long-term effects

Managing and operating a fleet of vehicles is undoubtedly a big responsibility. While there are all the events happening in the moment to deal with, it’s the forethought to the smaller details that also requires time and attention. But when all the timely preventative actions are followed, there’s a greater chance of improving overall road safety for your fleet and a reduction in the number of incidents.

In this article we focus on some easy but essential steps for managing a fleet incident or collision – which do invariably occur – and how you can orchestrate the best outcome for all concerned, ensuring your response is both timely and complete. All of this will help to maximise existing safety protocols and keep your drivers safer while on the road.

Preparation is in the paperwork

Administration may feel like an endless bureaucratic process. However, making sure you’ve completed up-to-date documentation and your fleet drivers are also equipped with all the necessary paperwork is the fastest route past much of the red tape an incident may cause. The documents necessary for a roadside incident – especially if the police and other emergency services attend –   includes easy access to any ownership papers and lease agreements, as well as vehicle insurance documentation. Drivers should of course have their driver’s licence on their person as well as any other paperwork pertaining to who is operating the fleet and what they’re carrying if cargo is involved. 

Roadside response actions

As part of the fleet management or operations team, it’s unlikely that you’ll be with the driver at the time of the incident. It’s therefore important that the driver is trained and cognisant of the following actions. From the roadside, they should:

• Ensure the safety of all parties
• Make no admissions of liability
• Gather, recollect, and report information – including details of all those involved in the incident – and report back to management and/or insurers, following agreed incident reporting procedures

It’s also important that whoever is coordinating things back in the office regularly and clearly communicates with the driver, offering both guidance and reassurance.

Further actions back in the office

Of course, dealing with the incident does not end at the scene, and there are several key actions that need to be completed in the office. These include:

• Updating and completing any documentation and forms relating to the incident in a timely manner
• Regularly logging and updating further information
• Conducting a robust and transparent post-incident investigation to highlight causes and necessary actions

Implementing long-term measures across your fleet

A fleet collision or incident may be a one-off, but even the smallest happening can lead to future learnings and better avoidance strategies – which can all improve safety records, risk assessments, driver confidence, and of course any future motor fleet insurance policies. The recommendations for this include: 

• An ongoing and regular review of practices and policy (typically gathered from a previous investigation and collision data)
• Robust programme of driver training/awareness needs
• Review of vehicle suitability and safety features
• Use of technology to influence driver behaviour and change of culture
• Motor risk partner review – make sure that you’re partnering with an insurance specialist that truly understands the unique risks facing motor fleets, who will work closely with you to agree a solutions programme and premium that matches your needs  

On the importance of following agreed procedures and actions after an incident, Head of Motor Risk at Howden, Peter Milchard, said: “Recovering from a fleet incident can be a long and difficult process, so it’s important you have the right partners with you along the way. Use our guidance above and check against your current practices to see if you’re on track. It’s also important to note, the above methods are only to be used as a guide. But if you or your fleet team need tailored advice, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with Howden’s specialist motor fleet team to see how we can help.”

Benefits of fleet management:

This stepped process will lead to many improvements, but here’s a quick reminder why good fleet incident management matters.

1. Improved fleet safety

A watertight fleet safety programme is all about putting proactive measures in place to protect your drivers  – the payoff being a safer driving environment, and decisions made that are based on proven data rather than guesswork and word-of-mouth reporting. 

Better fleet safety and awareness features on vehicles allows managers to spot the trends that may cause collisions, strengthen response protocols, all while adjusting operational processes. 

2. Downtime is minimised

When an incident occurs, with a tight management process in place, the response is much quicker and more organised, which in turn means businesses should not face a huge disruption or downtime.

The knock-on effect is that customers continue to trust in their fleet operator, clients remain loyal, and the fleet services’ reputation remains in good shape. 

3. Targeted driver training

Good incident management can also work as a tool to identify drivers who may not be performing at peak. Video monitoring in tandem with data analysis of driving habits and behaviours will allow an operator to establish which drivers may be in danger of having an incident before they do, so targeted training can be put in place. 

Of course, the most valuable takeaway from monitoring is that of clear accountability. This is not so much pointing a finger at a guilty party post-incident, but if a driver is aware that they are being monitored, this should ensure they are always acting responsibly when behind the wheel, thus avoiding an incident.

4. Decreased costs

A fleet incident management system comes down to what can be saved on the bottom line. Any measures to improve safety and prevent collisions equals a cost efficiency result on repairs and a better rate of insurance premium. 

And by returning to our first point on all that paperwork, all incident documentation – including video monitoring evidence data, will bring both protection and a quicker conclusion to a legal dispute or settlement disagreement. After all, the more solid proof available, the stronger the position of the fleet when defending against fraudulent claims or responding to questions over liability.

While every motor fleet business – whether that’s a small enterprise of less than a dozen vans, or a large network of haulage carriers – regularly faces hazards on the road, being prepared and covered for any eventuality will allow you to recover faster. 

By promoting preventative measures and technologies, prioritising driver awareness, and partnering with a collaborative motor risk partner such as Howden, you’ll be much better placed to respond to and reduce incident occurrences. 

Peter added the following advice: “Where incidents occur, this should be identified as a learning opportunity to prevent future occurrences. Clear incident reporting procedures and actions means that clients remain in the best position to take positive action when there is an incident, which also reduces downtime costs.”

If you would like more information on any of the points raised in this article, then reach out to our team below: