Council is a new ‘business champion’
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Cambridgeshire County Council is a ‘business champion’ after implementing a work-related road safety strategy in 2002 that saw a 50% cut in collision claims up to the end of 2005...
The council acknowledged that with almost 13 million business miles a year being driven it ‘must have had a high risk exposure’. Road safety officer Steve Merrett, who compiled the council’s work-related road safety policy, said: “The policy is now regularly reviewed and updated.”
However, at the time of compiling the policy, Mr Merrett admitted: “The only data that we could find relating to our vehicle use was mileage claimed by staff. No other data was collected. We have now put that right.”
Features of the policy, which covers driving, motorcycles, cycling and walking, includes regular driving licence checks and additional spot checks, mandatory driver training for the 400 lease car drivers with follow-up refresher training, incident investigation and a complete ban on mobile phone use while behind the wheel.
The policy has also resulted in a comprehensive review of vehicle use with mileage dropping to around eight million miles annually - contributing to a significant cut in the council’s carbon footprint - and the organisation’s leased fleet being cut by a third. In addition, the council has about 4,000 casual vehicle users.
As a result, the council has seen its crash rate per fleet vehicle reduce from 37.6% in 2000 to 20% last year.
Mr Merrett said: “One of the fundamental factors relating to our policy is whether staff avoid driving to undertake their work. As a result of compiling our work-related road safety policy and providing advice and information to staff, the council is working more efficiently and saving money.”