Fleet Safety In The Government Public Sector

People driving vehicles for business make up a large proportion of travel on Western Australian (WA) roads. Research shows that about 30% of all registered vehicles in Australia are used in business and 60% of all new vehicles are purchased initially for commercial use.

The human and economic costs of crashes involving these vehicles are significant. Each road fatality in WA costs an average of 1.8 million dollars and research indicates that a serious crash can affect the lives of 115 people.

2 The Government agencies involved in the Fleet Safety Project recognise the need for a balanced approach to fleet safety and vehicle selection that considers:
– lease and operating costs;
– environmental considerations – the WA Government has made a commitment to best practice in environmental sustainability;
– fit for purpose vehicles – Government agency staff in regional and remote areas may require larger vehicles;
– risk and insurance factors – safer vehicles have the potential to reduce personal injury costs;
– occupational safety and health issues – WA occupational safety and health legislation defines the vehicle as a workplace and duty of care provisions when driving also exist for employers and employees, and
– road safety – the introduction of fleet safety policies and the selection of safer vehicles can reduce road trauma in Western Australia.