Fleet Safety is more than just a website. The programme also identifies businesses with a high on-road health and safety risk, then works with employers and fleet managers to reduce those hazards.
While anyone can access the information on this website, the Fleet Safety programme also proactively targets businesses that can most benefit from improving their fleet safety. It does this by analysing a fleets traffic infringement, crash and fleet statistics held by the Police and NZTA, then combining them with ACC injury claims and MBIE employer data.
From that analysis, a company that is estimated to have a high crash risk can be offered practical help from our regional staff. They can visit on-site and assist with planning improvements to fleet safety. For more about what those initiatives might be, go to our Resources section.
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Work-related traffic fatalities make up the largest category of work-related death in New Zealand – around 30% of workplace deaths, as well as 13% of workplace injuries. This creates a major burden for employers and New Zealand as a whole. As fleet vehicles make up a large part of New Zealand’s total fleet, its vital business owners and fleet operators keep their employees as safe as possible while on the road. Safer business vehicle fleets contribute to a safer vehicle fleet overall.
Health and safety regulations consider any vehicle used for work as a ‘workplace’, regardless of who owns the vehicle – the employer, the employee, or a leasing company – how big the fleet is, or the type of vehicle. Therefore any employer whose business uses vehicles has the legal responsibility to manage on-road injury risks, the same as any other workplace hazard.
Employers also have additional responsibilities under the Land Transport Act. More information about these can be found on NZTA's website.
There is a clear link between a well-managed vehicle fleet and profitability. Good fleet safety pays off in reduced wear and tear, vehicle downtime and asset damage to vehicles. In addition, fuel efficiency is usually improved. Crashes can also increase vehicles’ insurance premiums.
There’s also your company’s reputation to consider. It's not a good look when potential customers see a vehicle with your branding crashed on the side of the road, or pulled over while its driver is ticketed.
In short, a well-managed fleet, driven by safe and courteous drivers, stays on the road making money for your business.
Employees injured in road crashes cost money in lost production if they can’t be replaced, and in increased staff costs if you need to employ replacement staff. But the huge financial burden and human cost of road crashes goes far beyond your workplace.
The total social cost of motor vehicle injury crashes in 2009 – the latest available figures – has been estimated at approximately $3.67 billion, including loss of life and life quality, productivity, medical, legal and property damage costs. The average cost of a crash involving a fatality or permanent disability for that year was $4.1 million. With 373 fatalities in the 2010 calendar year, the sums are huge and so are the ongoing effects, impacting on workplaces, families and the larger community.
All this is why fleet safety is a priority for ACC, the NZ Police, New Zealand Transport Agency and Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE). These four government agencies have worked on this issue in the past, and Fleet Safety is the latest – and most innovative – programme.
Research conducted in August 2009 highlighted that many business owners didn’t understand they have a responsibility to keep their staff safe while they use vehicles for work. The Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Act 2002 specifically includes the vehicle as an extension of the workplace.
The research also showed that the burden of work-related road deaths and injuries could be reduced from a programme that:
Fleet Safety is the programme that responds to that need, by combining up-to-date vehicle data with health and safety advice and information, which can be delivered through this website and/or in person by one of our regional staff.
Safer Journeys is the cross government strategy that will guide improvements to road safety over the period of 2010-2020. The long term vision of Safer Journeys is “A safe road system increasingly free of death and serious injury”. It aims to do this by having:
The Fleet Safety programme has information and interventions that support the safe speeds, safe vehicles and safe road users aims of Safer Journeys.
To find out more about the Safer Journeys strategy visit www.saferjourneys.govt.nz