Road Death Manual will put new pressure on fleet managers - 26 July 2006

New police guidelines on procedures following work related deaths will place further pressure on fleet managers and company directors, according to Diarmuid Fahy, fleet risk manager at ING Car Lease.

Amendments to the Road Death Investigation Manual (RDIM) announced this week make sober reading for fleet managers, who will come under far greater levels of scrutiny following accidents, says Fahy.

“The most significant feature contained within this annex to the RDIM is the instruction to involve the HSE following a road incident, where failures in safety management have been identified," he said.

“This new vigilance on the part of police to assess potential negligence has huge implications for businesses who find themselves being investigated following a fatal accident. 

“Typically, companies that rely on employees to insure and maintain their own cars for business use are more open to serious investigation from the police and the HSE, in the wake of an incident.  We are urging fleets to ensure they can demonstrate that all drivers are properly insured, licenced and trained now, before they face investigation.

“We are also urging clients to undertake a full risk assessment in this area to minimise the likelihood of incidents and protect them from court action.

"In short, this move is not unexpected and will place further pressure on fleets to take the issue of risk very seriously."