Fleet Safety Intervention Toolkit

INTRODUCTION
 INTRODUCTION | YOUR FLEET SAFETY PROGRAMME | INAPPROPRIATE SPEED | MOBILE PHONE USE | SEATBELT COMPLIANCE | DEVELOPING A BUSINESS CASE FOR FLEET SAFETY | REFERENCES

SECTION 1
INTRODUCTION

About this toolkit How to use this toolkit

This Fleet Safety Intervention Toolkit gives aid and development This toolkit has been designed for you to consider a range
fleet managers guidance on what kind of road safety of different approaches when attempting to change driver
interventions work best for improving risk on missions. It is behaviour.
based on research commissioned by Fleet Forum and designed It provides guidance and a process flow for implementing
by Dr Lisa Dorn of Cranfield University. This toolkit draws on the evidence-based interventions in your organisation.
results of two research reports published in collaboration with
Fleet Forum. Case studies show real-world examples of interventions in
practice in humanitarian organisations.
The Fleet Safety Intervention Toolkit aims to support senior
leaders working for aid and development organisations A range of interventions are provided to tackle each at-risk
to implement an evidence-based approach for fleet risk behaviour.
management by focusing on the at-risk behaviours strongly The toolkit is an interactive PDF. We suggest you navigate this
associated with crash outcomes according to our research. toolkit using the buttons rather than scrolling.
Inappropriate speed, distracted driving and not wearing a
seatbelt were reported as the main at-risk behaviours associated
with crashes. This toolkit will help you to identify different
methods for tackling these behaviours, but each intervention
requires the coordinated application of safe systems to
influence behaviour within your organisation.

READ ABOUT THE RESEARCH >

YOUR FLEET SAFETY PROGRAMME

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SECTION 2 YOUR FLEET SAFETY PROGRAMME

Introduction
Developing an evidence-based fleet safety programme for your humanitarian organisation could reduce human harm, financial loss and reputational damage.
Introducing a one-off intervention is unlikely to solve your road safety problems.
To implement a robust fleet safety programme, you need to understand why crashes take place and why current systems are not preventing them. A proactive
approach to managing road safety and a cycle of continuous improvement will help your organisation to achieve and maintain a good safety record.
Road safety research shows that long-term effects of interventions may not be possible. Most effects disappear within 3 to 6 months. A road safety programme,
with a phased approach and ongoing road safety interventions could deliver longer lasting effects.

Evidence-based interventions Implementing interventions Process flow

Research shows that the most effective road safety interventions include: The following guidelines provide a useful checklist for implementing evidence-
based interventions: Identify safety needs - use Choose interventions – based on
• Group discussions crash data to identify local or audience needs and behaviour you
• L
 ocal or global? Consider whether the intervention(s) you choose addresses multinational risks and issues want to change
• Using telematics for driver feedback and coaching
multinational or local safety needs identified through crash data.
• Using larger trucks
• T
 he change needed. Make sure that you choose an intervention based on
• Seatbelt interventions the needs of your target group (e.g. leaders, supervisors, employees) and the Develop a plan – working closely Set aims and objectives – that are
behaviour that needs to change. with stakeholders clear and measurable
• Restricting driving times
• S
 et objectives. Construct clear intervention aims and measurable behavioural
Other possible interventions include coaching, improved selection of drivers objectives.
and a company’s safety culture. However, there is a weaker evidence base for
these. • W
 ork together. Make sure that you work together with stakeholders, partners Run a pilot – to test the intervention Consider each intervention – thinking
and interest groups for a coordinated plan. before full implementation about the scale, intensity and content
A holistic and coordinated approach that uses a variety of methods as part
of a coherent fleet safety plan will have the greatest sustained impact. • Identify a lead. Name a member of the team as the main point of contact and
responsibility.
Research shows that long-term effects of interventions may not be possible,
with most effects disappearing within 3 to 6 months. To maintain the effects • P
 art of a wider plan. Consider how the intervention you choose can be Appoint a lead – name a team One or many? – will you use one
of interventions, you need a phased approach and ongoing road safety complemented by other measures, including safer vehicles, driver monitoring member as the main contact point main intervention? Could it be
interventions as part of a road safety programme. for compliance etc. complemented by others?
Read more: Traffic Safety in Organisations research report, authors: Dorn and • D
 oes it fit? Make sure that the content, scale and intensity of each intervention
Wåhlberg, 2022, commissioned by Fleet Forum. is proportionate to the behaviour you aim to change.
• T
 est it first. Design a pilot to test the intervention before implementing it at Think sustainably – consider how Tackle barriers – consider the
full scale. each intervention will be sustained barriers to change and how they
will be overcome
• M
 ake it sustainable. Consider how the intervention will be sustained over the
required time scale for delivery.
• O
 vercoming barriers. Consider the key barriers to behaviour change that may
emerge and what action is needed to address them. Evaluate effectiveness – evaluate your Keep it going – address any relapse
intervention to inform further action during the intervention process
• L
 ong-term impact. Make sure the intervention(s) include strategies to address
relapse during the intervention process.
• I nclude evaluation. Evaluate your intervention according to the steps provided
in this fleet safety toolkit
INAPPROPRIATE SPEED
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SECTION 3 INAPPROPRIATE SPEED

Introduction
Speed is a primary factor in a third of road deaths and a factor in many crashes.
Driving at an inappropriate speed does not just relate to when a driver breaks the speed limit for a given stretch of road. It includes ‘excessive speed’, but also
when driving within the speed limit, but too fast for the prevailing conditions (e.g., inclement weather, reduced visibility, or highly vulnerable road-user activity).
Driving at inappropriate high speeds increases the risk of a crash and means that the crash is more likely to cause more serious injuries to all involved and a
greater level of physical damage to the vehicle(s). Other driver errors such as driving too close to the vehicle in front and driving when tired or distracted are also
magnified by inappropriate speed. This is because drivers have less time to recognise and react to hazards developing around them.

Case study – One World Before the start of the programme, all senior leaders took part in online training
to show how leadership behaviour impacts on speeding behaviour.
The results
Analysis of telematics data revealed a significant reduction in overall speeding
One World operates in 60 countries and seven regions across the world. Their In 2015, the first phase of the programme used a wide range of interventions events, harsh braking events and collisions per million vehicle miles compared
3,000 employees operate a large fleet of vehicles including motorbikes. One including: to the baseline data.
World’s senior managers identified an increasing problem with high-profile
crashes and were concerned about the human and financial cost. • Toolbox talks
• Online learning
Investigating the problem Telematics evaluation 2015-2019 One World evaluation 2012-2019
• Improved driver selection procedures
They launched an investigation to identify key crash factors. The investigation
identified that the majority were due to exceeding the speed limit, as measured • Improved road safety policies 8 1500

by an in-vehicle data recording system. The investigation also showed that • Random checks to improve compliance 7
employees were travelling at excess speed to meet their work schedules.
One World also improved crash reporting procedures to include in-depth 6
Alongside this data, One World surveyed staff attitudes to speed and found investigations for all crashes resulting in injury or death. Quarterly reviews were
1000
5
that drivers who reported travelling over the speed limit more frequently were then required to be reported to the steering committee including emerging
also more likely to view being on time as desirable for their managers and the risks from each regional road safety focal point.
4

organisation. 3
In 2016, the second phase used a communication campaign to ensure all staff 500
Building the business case completed all safety activities and compliance checks. Additional interventions 2

Senior managers developed a business case for a three-year road safety included: 1
programme to reduce speed, targeting reductions in speeding events and risk • Driver support groups for peer-to-peer coaching 0
0
as measured by Collisions Per Million Miles (CPMM). 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
• T
 elematics with app-based feedback on speed for all vehicles including
One World’s Vice President approved the business case and the resources motorbikes Average speeding events per day per vehicle Average claim cost per vehicle

needed. Average harsh breaking events per vehicle Collisions per million mile
• A management reporting system to identify repeat speeding offenders
Implementing the plan • H
 igh risk drivers and riders were then required to take part in group
A fleet safety committee was formed with members from across the discussion workshops Evaluation has identified improvements to the implementation of the
organisation, including health & safety, HR and operational departments. The For phase three in 2017, communications activity focused on developing a programme. The results have been shared widely across One World to
programme was launched in 2015 and retrospective data for crash rates was safety culture with regular online messages to all staff to reinforce speed limit demonstrate the value of the programme.
collected as a baseline from 2012. compliance.

INTERVENTIONS
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INAPPROPRIATE SPEED
Interventions
Intervention 1 – Committed leadership Intervention 3 – Telematics Intervention 5 – E-learning modules
At One World, all senior leaders and managers were required to take part in an People tend to modify behaviour when being observed. When feedback is E-learning modules can be used to tackle the risks of speeding and the
event in which an expert in safety culture gave a presentation on how leadership provided, true learning can take place. Studies show that telematic feedback underlying factors that can lead to inappropriate speed. Evidence shows the
behaviour impacts on speeding and crash involvement rates. Following the has a positive effect on road safety. effectiveness of this approach.
presentation, the managers took part in various activities to highlight the In one study in the Netherlands, in-vehicle recorders were installed and half In one study, driving offenders took part in a half day workshop and for the
dangers of turning a blind eye to inappropriate speed. of employees were given feedback on scores and events. The other half of following 5 weeks, were required to completed five e-learning modules.
Before and after the event, a survey was administered to the senior group to employees received no feedback. Traffic offence rates were gathered for all participants before and after the
benchmark attitudes to road safety and the results were showing a significant intervention. Findings showed a significant reduction in the number of offences
improvement in management’s attitudes to road safety. The survey was and penalty points compared with the control group that had only received the
administered once a year during the fleet safety programme and every year, Intervention results: workshop (af Wåhlberg et al, 2011).
the leadership group were given the results of the survey showing ongoing
improvements in their perceptions about safety. Using data recorders to provide feedback resulted in a 20% reduction in
crashes recorded (Wouters and Bos, 2000).
Intervention results:
Communications campaigns based on social science theory resulted in a 9%
reduction in road traffic crashes, as long as additional interventions are in
place to support new behaviours (Delhomme et al, 2009).

Intervention 2 – Group discussions Intervention 4 – Communications campaigns

Studies show that driver workshops where groups of drivers share their Road safety communications campaigns help to influence behaviour, especially
experiences can lead to lasting behaviour change. when they target specific behaviours like speed. Campaigns are particularly
At One World, they used group discussion structures including: effective as part of multifaceted interventions. They are less effective when they
use fear-arousing messaging.
• 60 minutes ‘warm-up’ activity
Campaigns based on social science theory were found to result in a 9%
• 40 minutes discussion to identify fleet safety problems reduction in road traffic crashes, providing additional interventions were used to
• 20 minutes discussion of results of previous meeting support new behaviours (Delhomme et al, 2009).

• Small group discussion of how to resolve problems Theory of planned behaviour is a popular social science approach.
Communications campaigns that consider psychological and social factors
• 60 minutes to plan and commit to future action will be more effective than awareness raising campaigns. For example, Road
Safety Scotland’s Foolsspeed campaign was designed to reduce inappropriate
and excessive speed in urban areas. Theory of planned behaviour was used to
Intervention results: inform three television adverts, each addressing a key determinant of intention
They provide the highest cost benefit of evaluated interventions to speed – targeting attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural
and reduced crash involvement by over 50% up to two years after control.
implementation (Gregersen, et al, 1996).
WANT TO KNOW MORE? >

MOBILE PHONE USE

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SECTION 4 MOBILE PHONE USE

Introduction
Legislation around driver use of mobile phones may vary from country to country, but evidence demonstrates that it poses a significant risk to road safety.
Improving driver and passenger awareness of the risks of mobile phone use while driving can support interventions to tackle risky behaviour and improve safety.

Case study – Medical Assistance Foundation The policy framework Designing the interventions
An aid and development organisation called Medical Assistance Foundation Medical Assistance Foundation’s policy specifies that mobile phones must After gathering evidence from the briefings, the road safety committee
(MAF) has a fleet of approximately 10,000 four-wheeled vehicles and 2,000 be placed in a cradle with an approved hands-free system while the vehicle’s designed a programme of interventions to tackle the problem of using mobile
two-wheeled vehicles. Given that safety norms (how organisational members engine is switched on or at any time while driving. The policy also states that phones whilst driving.
generally behave towards safety) and standards (safety policies and procedures) text messages must not be opened to read, reply or send while the vehicle is First, the committee reviewed the mobile phone policy. It had previously stated
have been found to have a positive effect on fleet crash reduction (Moser et al, moving. However, incidents of mobile phone use were reported to the road that hands free mobile phones could be used whilst driving but it was clear that
2001), the road safety committee recognised the need to maintain their strong safety committee. there was still a significant risk from holding a conversation on a mobile phone.
safety culture.
Understanding the challenge The new policy was drafted stating that a mobile phone could not be used at all
Over the last decade or so, MAF has significantly improved their road whilst driving. To ensure that employees understood how important the revised
safety record and made important changes to their policies, processes, Senior leaders of Medical Assistance Foundation launched a one-year initiative policy was, it stated that failure to abide by the policy can result in discipline up
and procedures. General safety is part of the organisational culture and to address this emerging risk using different approaches. To design the to and including termination.
management takes safety seriously and believes it is their responsibility to initiative, managers and supervisors in regional offices asked staff key questions
during briefings to test their understanding of circumstances under which staff As this would be a significant departure from the previous mobile phone
manage safety, but that responsibility is shared amongst all members of staff.
use their mobile phone while driving. Results showed that staff believed that policy it was decided that drivers and managers would need to be trained
The MAF approach towards road safety is to focus on prevention rather than
talking on a mobile phone was no more dangerous than talking to a passenger. and go through a behavioural change programme before the new policy was
cure, so safety measures are adapted to the local regional environment and
Staff also believed that having a mobile phone call using a hands-free kit meant implemented. A communication campaign also ran alongside the training and
there is a focus on any emerging risks reported to the committee.
that it was safer than handheld. behavioural change programme and stickers were installed on dashboards to
MAF examined road traffic crash trends that had occurred within the previous remind all drivers of MAF vehicles. Before going live with the new policy, all
three years, and then developed countermeasures to combat the problems. As However, research showed that passengers can better regulate conversation mobile phones owned by MAF were required to have a phone blocking app
part of the programme, all crashes are reported and studied by management based on perceived risk than someone on a mobile phone. A handheld or installed.
to prevent similar crashes from occurring again. Near misses are used as formal hands-free mobile phone conversation was associated with a fourfold increase in
learning experiences. They are reported monthly and discussed biannually. crash risk (Charlton, 2009). Also, current policy stated that hands free calls were Evaluating the interventions
Information about crashes is sent to each office regularly so that they can learn acceptable and staff briefings revealed that some managers expect to be able The committee evaluated the programme with reference to the number of
from it. Offices and drivers with no crashes are commended for their record to contact staff at any time, even when they are driving. times that employees had been caught using a mobile phone whilst driving.
regularly. Sometimes prizes are given for outstanding performance. Traffic At baseline they received 10 reports a month but by the end of the one-year
safety campaigns are conducted regularly to ensure that employees foresee campaign this had reduced to zero. They had also disciplined one member of
traffic dangers, using case studies of previous crashes. In particular, previous staff and dismissed an employee to ensure that all staff were aware that mobile
campaigns on seatbelt wearing and anticipating the behaviour of pedestrians phone use whilst driving was being taken seriously.
have successfully reduced incidents relating to these driver behaviours.

INTERVENTIONS
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MOBILE PHONE USE Intervention 3 – Cradle stickers Intervention 5 – Management and driver
Interventions
Behavioural nudge theory supports influencing the subconscious or automatic
decisions that are often relevant with mobile phone use while driving.
training
At Medical Assistance Foundation, all managers and supervisors had to attend
In line with nudge theory, Medical Assistance Foundation produced informative a one-day training on the dangers of calling staff while they were driving.
Intervention 1 – Mobile phone policy stickers to act as a reminder not to use a mobile phone whilst driving. The The training included activities to demonstrate how holding a mobile phone
stickers remind and guide drivers towards making small changes by presenting
amendment different choices to encourage adoption of the desired behaviour.
conversation distracts drivers and leads to increased risk of crashing. Managers
were led through the consequences of these kinds of incidents with regards to the
Consider amending your organisation’s mobile phone policy. Medical The stickers used simple, attractive design and were put on the dashboard human, financial and reputational costs. Then a group discussion led to a series of
Assistance Foundation changed their policy to set out clearly for all staff what is where they could be seen by the driver. They informed drivers about the three solutions that could be adopted instead of making calls to drivers.
acceptable. steps to answering a mobile phone call safely. After all managers had completed the training, drivers took part in two online
1. Do not pick up discussion groups spaced three months apart before a new mobile phone
policy was introduced. In the first discussion intervention, drivers were given
Intervention results: 2. Ask your passenger to answer
details about the dangers of mobile phone use and the revision to the mobile
3. Stop in a safe place phone policy was discussed and presented. Employees were then led through a
Research has identified that changes to policy, processes and procedures
can reduce the cost of crashes (Murray, 2003). facilitated discussion on what they can do to ensure they are not tempted to use
any devices whilst driving and this discussion led to goals being set. In the second
Intervention results: discussion intervention, employees took part in a facilitated discussion about their
WANT TO KNOW MORE? > progress on achieving the goals. Open and honest feedback was sought about
Nudge supports the theory that behaviour can be influenced more readily
circumstances under which they had used their mobile phones whilst driving and
if information about alternative safer decisions can be presented in the
employees reflected on what other options were available instead.
physical context of the behaviour that needs to be changed (Thaler and
Sunstein, 2008).

Intervention results:
Research shows that group discussion methods for behavioural change
can reduce crash involvement by over 50% up to 2 years post-intervention
Intervention 2 – Cognitive distractions Intervention 4 – Phone-blocking apps (Gregersen, et al, 1996).

campaign Installing a phone-blocking app on all phones belonging to an organisation

can have a positive effect on reducing mobile phone use while driving. Apps
Communications campaigns can play an important role in promoting safer can block and divert incoming phone calls and messages and restrict user
mobile phone use. Research shows that they are effective, particularly as part of interaction with the device while the vehicle is in motion.
a suite of interventions. However, fear-led campaigns are less effective as they
can lead people to reject the message. This intervention is particularly useful for fleet-based organisations as they are in
a better position to enforce app usage.

Intervention results: Intervention results: Do not

pick up
Passenger
should answer
Stop in a
safe place

Communication campaigns based on social science theory reduced road Research showed that the rate of text messages sent per mile driven each
traffic crashes by 9% on average providing additional interventions are in month was 5 to 10 times higher in the control group (0.05 to 0.20 texts per
place to support the new behaviours (Delhomme et al, 2009). mile driven) than in the group using a phone-blocking app (0.0 to 0.02 texts
per mile driven) (Creaser et al, 2015).

SEATBELT COMPLIANCE
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Evaluating a seatbelt safety programme

SECTION 5 SEATBELT COMPLIANCE 100

90
80

Introduction
70
60

Traffic law does not mandate the use of seatbelts in all countries, particularly for people sitting in the back of a vehicle. However, research shows that wearing a 50

seatbelt significantly reduces the risk of fatalities and serious injury during crashes. 40
30
Awareness of the benefits of wearing a seatbelt, improvements to organisational policy and processes, and vehicle safety measures can all contribute to improving 20
rates of compliance and overall road safety. 10
0
Year 1 Q1 Year 1 Q2 Year 1 Q3 Year 1 Q4 Year 2 Q1 Year 2 Q2 Year 2 Q3 Year 2 Q4

Non-compliance rates Seatbelt killed and seriously injured

Case study – Aid International Setting the objectives Implementing the intervention
Aid International is an aid and development organisation working in over 100 Aid International designed a two-year programme to increase seatbelt The organisation’s road safety policy was amended to clearly mandate the use
countries. compliance by: of seatbelts in front and rear seats on all journeys by the end of year 1. Seatbelt
safety tests were carried out to make sure all seatbelts were in good working
They identified that most of the deaths experienced by their staff in developing 1. Amending the road safety policy to mandate the use of front and rear
order. Staff were also instructed that all hire cars and taxis used should be fitted
countries happened when the person was not wearing a seatbelt. In some seatbelts on all journeys by the end of year 1.
with front and rear seatbelts before travel.
countries, wearing a seatbelt was not a legal requirement, particularly for 2. Ensuring that all vehicles were fitted with working front and rear seatbelts by
passengers in the back seats. Aid International’s policy states that employees During year one, staff took part in focus groups to tackle myths around seatbelt
the end of year 1.
must wear a seatbelt on all journeys, however compliance was low. use. Information gathered was used to design a targeted campaign. Focus
3. Mandating that all taxis and hire vehicles must be fitted with front and rear groups revealed that employees were often passengers in vehicles in which the
The case for seatbelt compliance seatbelts before travel. driver failed to wear a seatbelt and did not feel confident to tackle this non-
Aid International’s safety committee gathered evidence to show that wearing a 4. Mandating that all new vehicles must have seatbelt warning technology compliance. The ‘commit to click’ communications campaign was designed to
seatbelt is the single most effective road safety measure: installed. tackle this non-compliance with pledge cards, factsheets and real life stories to
inspire others to buckle up.
• It reduces the risk of driver death in a crash by 50% (WHO, 2018) 5. Introducing full scale investigations of all fatalities to identify if wearing a
seatbelt could have prevented injury or death. Non-compliance rates and the number of seatbelt related injuries and deaths
• It reduces the risk of fatal injuries in rollover crashes by an estimated 74%
reduced over the two-year programme. The results were shared widely to
(National Highways Safety Administration) 6. Introducing hands-on safety training for all staff using a seatbelt simulator. reinforce compliance. For those staff who still failed to comply, one-to-one
These facts and figures were contrary to employees’ beliefs about seatbelt coaching is being designed and implemented.
Establishing the baseline
wearing so the committee decided that several interventions would be required
During the first month, seatbelt use was monitoring in local areas. Trained The results showed a gradual reduction in non-compliance rates in year 1,
to increase seatbelt compliance.
observers targeted office and field car parks to measure seatbelt compliance accelerating in year 2 as most employees took part in the programme. Seatbelt
unobtrusively using a handheld device in spot-checks. Compliance rates were related deaths and crash injuries also reduced during the programme.
reported back to the safety committee each quarter. The month 1 observational
data was used as a baseline for seatbelt compliance to measure the success of
the programme.
At the same time, Aid International reviewed all vehicles to measure the
percentage of vehicles fitted with front and rear seatbelts. This established a
baseline. For those without seatbelts, employees were instructed to book them
into the local garage as soon as possible. Any vehicles that could not be fitted
with seatbelts were entered on a spreadsheet for replacement. The road safety
committee requested that all vehicles have front and rear seatbelts by the end
of year 1.

INTERVENTIONS
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SEATBELT COMPLIANCE Intervention 4 – ‘Speak out, stay safe’ Intervention 5 – Seatbelts and safety
Interventions campaign culture
A communication campaign with several components was introduced to help Senior leaders and managers took part in an event to develop a strategy for
Intervention 1 – Seatbelt safety checks employees deal with situations in which the driver of a vehicle they are travelling
in is not wearing a seatbelt. Called ‘the speak out stay safe’ campaign, posters
developing a safety culture and created the mission ‘to make Health and
Safety a truly dynamic concern for the well-being of every person who comes
Review the condition of seatbelts regularly to make sure they are in good in communal staff areas gave employees tips for talking to the driver about into contact with our organisation, by integrating all of our systems to achieve
working order. buckling up. Messages included: a balanced risk-reducing interaction between people and their working
Train inspectors to carry out seatbelt safety checks, including retractors and environment’.
• D
 id you know that most people in a passenger seat would rather keep quiet
anchorage points looking for corrosion, damage and excessive wear and tear. and not tell the driver to put their seatbelt on and drive safe, even when they As part of this event, it was recognised that travel represented the most
Include seatbelt checks in annual vehicle inspection systems. feel in danger? significant risk to their people and the public. The leaders commissioned
the development of high-quality safety training programmes, considering
• D
 id you know that our people have been killed and injured because they
employees’ views. The new approach also ensured that employees felt
Intervention 2 – Seatbelt warning didn’t wear their seatbelt?
• D
 id you know that if the driver is not buckled up and you have a crash, the
empowered to become actively involved with safety every day.

technology force of the crash could mean the driver collides with you in the vehicle? For some countries, resistance was expected given that it was not the norm
to wear a seatbelt. Supervisors were trained to expect resistance and respond
In-vehicle technology such as seat belt reminders (SBR) alert drivers if the seat • Zero to safety in two seconds flat (image showing someone buckling up) appropriately by being clear about what behavioural changes are needed.
belts in occupied seats are not being used. Most commonly, the reminder is a The posters were also linked to a website to spread the message and senior The supervisors were trained to ask for co-operation, not submission and
visual display or an audible alarm. leaders and managers were encouraged to post ‘seatbelt selfies along with encouraged the employee to discuss any concerns.
employees. The website provided tips and advice on how to find your voice Leaders recognised that the credibility and importance of the seatbelt safety
Intervention results: when you feel you are travelling with a driver whose behaviour is risky with
downloadable PDFs entitled ‘What would you say”. The flyers depicted
programme must not be undermined through day-to-day operational causes.
Line managers were actively encouraged to address non-compliant behaviour.
The probability of wearing a seatbelt is over 9 times greater when the scenarios for the development of coping strategies for dealing with situations in
vehicle is fitted with a SBR system compared with drivers driving in vehicles which they are travelling as a passenger.
with no SBR (Farooq et al, 2021).
Intervention 6 – Seatbelt simulator training
Intervention results: Practical hands-on training is more effective than lectures. A seatbelt simulator may
Intervention 3 – Seatbelt attitude campaign An evaluation of this approach showed significant improvements in seatbelt
be a useful tool for employees to experience first-hand the g force involved in a 10-
15 km/h crash and improve attitudes to seatbelt wearing.
Increase positive attitudes towards seat belt use to improve compliance. wearing (St Louis, 2015).
The system enables a passenger to safely experience a simulated crash. Use of a
Begin by observing current seatbelt wearing rates to establish a baseline. Use seatbelt simulator should be voluntary. People can learn as effectively by watching
focus group discussions to understand the reasons why seatbelts were not the demonstration as they can by taking part. People with a nervous disposition or
being used, targeting countries in which seatbelt wearing is quite low. who have experienced road traffic crashes may not want to take part.
Design a campaign based on focus group findings to promote the benefits of
seatbelt wearing and tackle myths.

Intervention results: Intervention results:

Research shows that those people involved in a crash in the past were almost
Studies show that compliance doubles after a campaign, but follow-up twice as likely to use their seatbelt in future journeys (Passman et al, 2001),
campaigns may be needed to maintain new behaviours. Campaigns based therefore using a seatbelt simulator may encourage greater compliance.
on social science theory can result in a 9% reduction in road traffic crashes
on average providing additional interventions are in place to support the
new behaviours (Delhomme et al, 2009).

DEVELOPING A BUSINESS CASE FOR SAFETY

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SECTION 6 DEVELOPING A BUSINESS CASE FOR FLEET SAFETY

Introduction
The first step in engaging your senior leadership with fleet safety issues is to hold a meeting with them to enable you to put across ideas, discuss them face-to-face and make decisions together.
Use powerful research, statistics, and case studies, preferably using actual crash data for your organisation. Talk about how past crashes have affected employees and the local population.
Consider how the intervention(s) will be funded to achieve the required impact. Ensure time and funds are allocated for an evaluation of the short, medium, and long-term outcomes.

Financial cost of crashes How to calculate crash costs Presenting the business
The importance of evaluation in building a business case
Measure and understand the following costs: The most straightforward way of calculating the
uninsured losses is to use the known claims costs
case Research commissioned by Fleet Forum found that road safety
1. Insurance (e.g., average cost per claim) and use a multiplier of When you present your business case, interventions implemented by aid and development organisations were
a. Annual cost of your insurance policy this figure to get an average uninsured loss figure per ensure that the focus is on how the fleet highly fragmented in content and delivery. Some interventions also had a
crash. The International Loss Control Institute state safety intervention will benefit your weak foundation of evidence (e.g., skills-based driver training) and were
b. Insurance claims made including costs paid to third organisation. Our research suggests that unlikely to be effective in improving crash rates. The research findings
that for every €1 paid out in claims by the insurer,
parties and costs paid for own damage the human cost and reputational damage show that it is important to evaluate road safety interventions to make
there are €8-53 in uninsured losses, depending on
c. Deductible and excess payments for any claims you the severity of the incident. of crash involvement were the two sure you know what has worked and what has not worked so well.
have made main concerns for aid and development
As these multipliers are likely to be difficult to justify, Evaluating your road safety interventions has other key benefits:
organisations.
d. Damage costs paid for crashes that were not covered it may be better to use a multiplier in the 2-4x range • You will improve your performance in road safety
by your insurance policy to calculate your uninsured losses. • H
 ighlight how the human costs has had
an impact on the victim, their family, the • You will know what road safety policies need to change
e. Costs of unreported damage found You may also like to use the Fleet Forum Crash local population, and members of your • You will make better investment decisions about what interventions
f. Costs of end-of-life charges for lease vehicles Cost Calculator to estimate crash costs (see https:// organisation.
knowledge.fleetforum.org/knowledge-base/article/ bring the best value for money
accident-cost-calculator). • H
 ighlight how the reputational damage Evaluations may not have been conducted within your organisation due
has impacted on the mission, perhaps by to lack of expertise in how to evaluate your fleet safety intervention.
2. Uninsured losses Once the average costs per crash are known, and you losing the trust of local people.
have an estimate of the uninsured losses associated This Fleet Safety Intervention Toolkit aims to develop your expertise
Hidden costs will depend on the nature of your • D
 emonstrate the financial losses
with each crash, you will know the total cost of risk. in conducting an evaluation by outlining the main steps involved. By
organisation and its operation but could include: associated with current crash involvement
To put this into perspective, you can then calculate following the guidance in this toolkit, you will develop greater confidence
a. Absenteeism rates and what could be achieved in that your fleet safety intervention will improve crash rates.
how much overall budget you need to cover the total terms of delivering aid by improving fleet
b. Late deliveries and delays to programme delivery cost of risk. You can express this in terms of how Road safety programmes may involve a combination of methods (e.g.,
safety.
c. Lost morale many more food parcels could be delivered or how group workshop, telematics feedback, communication programme). You
many more beneficiaries can be reached etc. • Present the costs of your intervention. may need to evaluate some components individually.
d. Higher staff turnover
• Identify how quickly the proposed
e. Reputational damage intervention will recover its cost through
savings due to fewer crashes.
• A
 t the end of your presentation develop
an action plan for next steps.

BUSINESS CASE STEPS

 INTRODUCTION | YOUR FLEET SAFETY PROGRAMME | INAPPROPRIATE SPEED | MOBILE PHONE USE | SEATBELT COMPLIANCE | DEVELOPING A BUSINESS CASE FOR FLEET SAFETY | REFERENCES

Step 1 – What to evaluate Step 3 – A representative sample

Use this toolkit to select your intervention and design your risk reduction Make sure that you identify a representative sample to measure during your
objectives. The interventions in this toolkit are suitable for all road users evaluation. Consider whether those taking part differ from other groups working
including motorcyclists. Do you want to achieve better speed compliance, for your organisation. Do they have any vested interest in the success of the
reduced distraction or achieve higher levels of seatbelt wearing? Review your intervention or has there been any unconscious bias in their selection? Consider
data to decide which behaviours are most associated with risk and select drawing individuals from different (but similar) geographic regions.
interventions to target one or all these high-risk behaviours. Individuals should be allocated to the intervention and control groups randomly.

Step 2 – How to measure impact Step 4 – Evaluation period

Measure the impact of your road safety programme to evaluate if you have Consider key milestones in the intervention to determine the most appropriate
achieved your objectives. evaluation period such as:
For robust evaluation: • Implementation process
• Measure data objectively • Desired behavioural outcome
• Collect data for at least 4 weeks before and after the intervention period • N
 ature of intervention eg. short intervention such as single group discussion,
or longer intervention such as series of group discussions
• C
 ompare the data with a control group that has not taken part in the
intervention Generally, longer term interventions are more effective than short term ones.
Collision Per Million Miles (CPMM) is a widely used measurement of road safety.
The formula is: Number of crashes x 1.000.000 (kilometre or miles) divided by
the actual kilometres or miles driven in the time period.
Establish a clear, organisation-wide definition of a crash used by all divisions
and in all countries. Some incidents may not be categorised as crashes in your Step 5 – Analyse finding
evaluation. For example: Analysis will depend on the data collected. Statistical analysis will show whether
• Incidents involving theft of contents from a vehicle there has been a significant impact compared to a control group who did not
receive the intervention. Descriptive statistics such as averages, graphs and
• Glass damage only, such as windscreen damage
tables can be useful to suggest trends.
• Damage to unoccupied vehicles by natural hazards such as flooding.
Objective data to measure could include:

Vehicle types All vehicle types including hire cars, employee-owned

vehicles Step 6 – Process evaluation
Mileage For all vehicles used including hire cars and employee- Alongside data analysis and comparison of different groups, you should
owned vehicles evaluate the process of conducting the evaluation. Were the intended effects
Crash claims costs Including third party claims of the intervention observed? Were any unintended consequences observed?
How effectively was the intervention adopted? This will help you to review
Injury severity Such as medical reports
whether the intervention was delivered as intended. Lastly, you should carry out
Offending behaviour Such as traffic penalties a follow-up study to assess whether there has been any long-lasting effect of the
Speed Using in-vehicle recording equipment intervention.

BACK TO SECTION 2 REFERENCES

 INTRODUCTION | YOUR FLEET SAFETY PROGRAMME | INAPPROPRIATE SPEED | MOBILE PHONE USE | SEATBELT COMPLIANCE | DEVELOPING A BUSINESS CASE FOR FLEET SAFETY | REFERENCES

SECTION 7 REFERENCES

Charlton, S. G., 2009. Driving while conversing: cell phones that distract and Passman, C. (2001). Seatbelt use before and after motor vehicle trauma. The
passengers who react.. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 41(1), pp. 160-173. Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection and Critical Care: 51(1), 105-109.

Creaser, J. I., Edwards, C. J., Morris, N. L. & Donath, M., 2015. Are cellular St Louis, R. M. (2015). Evaluation of Bis-Man clicks. An employer-led seatbelt
phone blocking applications effective for novice teen drivers?. Journal of Safety promotion program. University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
Research, Volume 54, pp. 75-82. https://www.slideshare.net/TTITAMU/evaluation-of-bisman-clicks-an-
employerled-seatbelt-promotion-program
Delhomme, P., De Dobbeleer, V., Forward, S. & Simões, A., 2009. Manual
for Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating Road Safety Communication Stead, M., & Eadie, D. (2007). Evaluation of Foolsspeed campaign: Final phase:
Campaigns, s.l.: Belgian Road Safety Institute Report.

Farooq, M. U., Ahmed, A., & Saeed, T. U. (2021). A statistical analysis of the Thaler, R. H. & Sunstein, C. R., (2008). Nudge: Improving Decisions About
correlates of compliance and defiance of seatbelt use. Transportation research Health, Wealth, and Happiness. New York, NY: Yale University Press.
part F: traffic psychology and behaviour, 77, 117-128.

af Wåhlberg, A. E. (2010). Re-education of young driving offenders; effects on

Gras, M. E., Sullman, M.J.M., Cunill, M., Planes, M., Aymerich, M., & Font- recorded offences and self-reported collisions.
Mayolas, S. (2007). Who uses a mobile phone when in Spain? Accident Analysis
& Prevention, 39, 347-355.
WHO (2018) Global status report on road casualties.
Gregersen, N. P., Brehmer, B. & Moren, B., 1996. Road safety improvement in
large companies. An experimental comparison of different measures.. Accident Zohar, D., 2002. Modifying supervisory practices to improve subunit safety: a
Analysis & Prevention, 28(3), pp. 297-306. leadership-based intervention model. Journal of Applied Psychology 87 (1),
156–163.
Moser, P., (2001). Rewards for creating a fleet safety culture. Professional Safety,
46, 39–41. Zohar, D., Luria, G., 2004. Climate as a social-cognitive construction of
supervisory safety practices: Scripts as proxy of behavior patterns. Journal of
Applied Psychology 89, 322–333.
Murray, W., (2003). A best practice process for fleet safety training. Road
Transport Special Report, Issue 64, Croner Publications, London.

END
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About the research

Read about the research ‘Traffic Safety in Organisations’ (Dorn and Wåhlberg, 2022) investigated what evidence exists for
intervention effectiveness. The research showed that almost all evaluations suffer from lack of control groups and valid outcome
variables. However, several interventions including the use of group discussions, telematics feedback and coaching were found to
show positive benefits for road safety.
https://knowledge.fleetforum.org/knowledge-base/article/road-safety-in-organisations-intervention-effects]
‘Aid and Development Organisations and Safety Culture’ (Dorn, 2022) used qualitative analysis to investigate how road safety is
managed by interviewing employees working in a road safety capacity for thirteen aid and development organisations. Previous
research has shown that safety-related interactions between supervisors/managers and employees led to increased safety outcomes
(Zohar, 2002; Zohar and Luria, 2004) and the absence of these types of interactions has been defined as evidence of poor safety
leadership. Dorn’s (2022) analyses showed how aid and development organisations typically demonstrated poor road safety
leadership given the lack of safety-related interactions in the workplace. The results also identified the challenge of operating in
multinational and multicultural environments when delivering aid and development programmes.
Participants reported many crashes in which at-risk behaviours are causal factors but only one organisation considered the wider
systemic contributory factors in the design of a communication intervention for all levels of the organisation including management.
The report concluded that to improve work-related road safety on missions, it is necessary to focus beyond an individual’s compliance
with safety procedures and instead look to senior leaders to demonstrate good leadership by introducing safety systems and
increasing both safety-related interactions and the quality of those interactions. To improve compliance, aid and development
organisations must consider the complex and changing interaction between the road infrastructure in which the road user is travelling
and the organisational systems that influence road user behaviour.
https://knowledge.fleetforum.org/knowledge-base/article/aid-and-development-organisations-road-safety-culture

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Intervention 4 – communications campaigns

Want to know more?
One of the most popular social science theories is the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Thousands of studies have shown that
behaviours are based on one’s intention regarding that behaviour, which in turn is a function of the person’s attitude toward the
behaviour, subjective norm (what others you care about think about the behaviour) and perceived behavioural control over that
behaviour.
Attitude is defined as the individual’s overall positive or negative feelings about performing the behaviour in question, which may
be assessed as a summation of one’s beliefs regarding the different consequences of that behaviour, weighted by the desirability of
those consequences. Subjective norm refers to one’s perception of whether people important to that person expect the person to
perform the intended behaviour, and is represented as a weighted combination of the expected norms of different reference groups
such as friends, colleagues, or supervisors at work. Behavioural control is one’s perception of internal or external controls constraining
the behaviour in question.
A communications campaign that takes these psychological and social factors into consideration will be more effective than an
awareness raising campaign.
An example of a ‘Theory of Planned Behaviour’ campaign
The ‘Foolsspeed’ campaign by Road Safety Scotland was designed to reduce the use of inappropriate and excessive speed in urban
settings. The ‘Theory of Planned Behaviour’ was used to shape three television ads, each designed to address a key determinant of
intention to speed:
1. Mirror use targeting attitudes
2. Friends and Family, addressing subjective norms, and
3. Simon Says, designed to address Perceived Behavioural Control (Stead et al, 2002).
For example, one of the Foolsspeed ads was developed to focus on developing beliefs towards the positive benefits of calmer
driving and related to attitude change. In the advert called ‘Doppelganger’ a man is depicted on his journey to work with his
doppelganger. One character drives calmly and without incident; the second character takes unnecessary risks and ends up being
reprimanded by the police at the side of the road.

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Intervention 4
Want to know more?
Medical Assistance Foundation changed their policy to state:
“While operating a motor vehicle and working for MAF, employees shall not use the following:
• Cellular (mobile) phones
• Text messaging devices
• Computers or tablets
• Smartphones
• Electronic games
• Headphones
Turn off?
Employees should remember that even if mobile phones are held in a cradle and not used, they could still be distracted by messages
appearing on the screen or incoming calls. The policy stated that the phone must be switched off entirely and a message answering
service should be used instead.
Hands free mobile phone restrictions do not apply to emergency calls and for communication between vehicles requiring or
providing escort, as permitted by local law.
Use of a vehicle navigation system or personal music player is allowed but shall only be programmed when the vehicle is stopped and
parked in a safe position.
Stopping along the side of a major highway to use a portable electronic device should not be attempted except under emergency
conditions. Care should be exercised when exiting and re-entering traffic.
Hand-held mobile phones and other hand-held electronic devices must be stored in a secure location while the vehicle is in motion.
Employees traveling with a driver must instruct them not to use a mobile phone whilst driving and to properly secure all loose
components to protect vehicle occupants from injury in the event of sudden stops, turns or impact.
Other distractions
Drivers should refrain from activities that could cause the driver to be distracted for more than a moment. Examples of these
activities are personal grooming, reading a map, eating, and drinking.
Failure to abide by this policy can result in discipline up to and including termination.”

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