Road safety charity Brake is calling on all businesses to take a proactive stance regarding the safety of their drivers this summer after publishing a new report.

Entitled 'Going the extra mile: Advanced road risk management', the publication outlines a number of examples of how companies are already implementing effective policies to place safety at the heart of their fleet management strategies.

The real-world examples delivered a number of conclusions for operating a safer fleet, including ensuring managers and drivers take a joint responsibility for preventing accidents.

In addition, the report highlighted the types of risks companies will most often face when operating an extensive fleet of vehicles. These include organisational, proven, theoretical and dynamic risks, with each of these areas requiring consideration to eliminate dangers to staff and other road users as much as possible.

The report also urged businesses to thoroughly investigate all crashes, bumps and minor mishaps for fleet users, as this can help to identify areas of operations that need improving.

Journey planning was also highlighted as an essential part of any well-rounded fleet management strategy, as this can help to eliminate unnecessary mileage and ensure drivers are taking the safest routes possible to reach their destination.

Finally, Brake also urged companies to take their responsibilities for safeguarding others seriously, with businesses encouraged to get involved with local community strategies for improving road safety.

Laura Woods, research and information officer at Brake, said: "Managing road risk effectively means constantly reassessing your priorities and learning from your experiences and best practice.

"We applaud the organisations featured in this report for their proactive, determined approach and impressive results, and hope this report will inspire more fleet managers to 'go the extra mile' for fleet safety in their organisations."

The report is available online to members of Brake's Fleet Safety Forum.

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