Written by: Peter Owinje
Since April 2008, the United Kingdom Corporate Manslaughter Act, was fully enforced, on company directors and also the company’s drivers involving any company’s vehicle in any fatal road accident and any other vehicle used for business purposes. The police in UK have stood their ground to handle any death records from road accident as ‘an unlawful killing’ and ready to deal with the offender or suspect.
The UK Police also have power to sue company directors who fail in their duties to provide frame work and guidance for their drivers to follow at work. It is interesting to note that even the private individual owned vehicles used for transportation business also going to be dealt with in the same manner if they are involved in road accident that cause the death of an innocent citizen. Nevertheless, most preventable accidents that cause the death of innocent road users make it more sensitive to enforce this law with alacrity in UK.
Therefore, under this act directors and individual transport business are expected to ensure that their vehicles are adequately insured and roadworthy.
To this end, adequate fleet management of company vehicles to make our road safer and to enhance transport smooth operations and as well as preventing unwanted lawsuit that are likely to arise as a result of fleet related fatality remain the inevitable reasons among others for writing this article, hence, below are the benefits of fleet management:
- It lessens the cost of labour: With GPS fleet tracking you can know your drivers whereabouts thereby making them to be accountable to a cause or any assignment given to them.
- It prevents potential ghost workers: the uses of fleet management software automatically freeze-out ghost-workers.
- It creates perfect contentment for drivers on duty: proper management of vehicle fleet will surely boost driver efficiency and their confidence when driving on the road.
- It boosts customers’ satisfaction: Proper management of vehicle fleet makes the organization (transport provider) reliable and committed to satisfying their numerous customers.
- Proper management of vehicle fleet also increases average lifetime of vehicles, thereby increasing the organization profitability.
- Reason for Safety: In transportation safety comes first; one of the major essences of fleet management is to ensure that each vehicle is safe for smooth transport operation. It also prevents the vehicle from the chances of being lost or stolen through remote vehicle disabling systems.
- It improves accountability: through fleet management systems (FMS) data can be gathered to check drivers’ behavior thereby making them to be more committed or accountable to their actions.
- It enhances drivers’ safety: when a vehicle is in a good condition it will reduce the accident rate.
- Fuel management: fleet management helps to prevent wasteful use of fuel, in other words it ensures efficient use of fuel to complete a particular journey.
- Efficient management of vehicle fleet by transport company or transport provider enhances smooth operation of any given industry.
Nevertheless, effective fleet management can enhance your enterprise or firm’s transport activities and to ensure that your organization receive the highest possible return on your investment while at the same time ensure the safety of your drivers.
Thank you!
Image credited to Pixabay
