Fleet Safety: the Road from Research to Practice

Over the past decade, light vehicle fleet safety has become an increasingly popular focus for road
safety researchers and consultants. However, those fleets who have taken a best practice
approach to managing fleet safety are in the minority. This means that the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of Australians who drive for work purposes are still put at unnecessary risk.
This paper outlines some of the reasons why fleets have failed, or have been unable, to implement
satisfactory safe driving programs within their organisations. These include practical, organisational
and economic barriers, which are often misunderstood and underestimated by researchers and consultants. A collaborative approach is outlined which includes strengthening the national
approach to fleet safety, greater efforts to broaden the scope of stakeholder engagement,
improving national road fatality data, and introducing legislative measures to compel organisations to address the issue appropriately.