GM joins Driving for Better Business campaign

General Motors UK, one of Britain’s leading vehicle manufacturers and car and van retailers, has become the first motor company to join the Government-backed ‘Driving for Better Business’ campaign, which is delivered by RoadSafe.

After boosting its occupational road risk management measures five years ago with the launch of its ‘Safe Driving Programme’, the company has introduced a string of initiatives that has resulted in halving the number of road crashes involving vehicles on its 600-strong fleet and a 20% cut in annual insurance premiums.

Programme manager Simon Monk said: “The premium reduction has had a significant impact on the company’s bottom line and definitely helped provide impetus for further safety initiatives and a commitment to work-related road safety.”

The Programme has been championed by chairman and managing director Bill Parfitt, who said: “In 2006, GM UK was above average in terms of its fleet safety policy, legal compliance and vehicle and claims management, but short of the benchmark in certain areas including risk assessments, organisational culture and driver training.

“The implementation of our Programme has changed that and as a result we have seen both own damage collisions and third party collisions reduce by half. It has also delivered a reduction in staff absenteeism, a greater awareness of the risks involved when driving among employees and an improved safety culture across the business.

“The GM UK Safe Driving Team has worked closely with key stakeholders including myself and fellow board directors, our fleet insurer, employee groups and trade unions to develop a robust and best practice model for managing and monitoring road safety related risk. 

“The model is aimed at reducing the collision rate of the fleet still further, reducing the risk of harm to employees and other road users, meeting all relevant legislation, meeting our corporate social responsibility and reducing the direct cost associated with motor collisions.”

GM UK’s recruitment to the campaign means that there are now almost 40 ‘business champions’, which are used by organisers to promote the financial, legal and moral reasons for organisations across the public and private sectors to invest in at-work driving safety.

With an estimated 150 road deaths and serious injuries a week resulting from crashes involving at-work drivers, and more employees killed and seriously injured on Britain’s roads while driving on behalf of their employer than in any other work-related activity, the campaign aims to cut this carnage.

Caroline Scurr, director of the ‘Driving for Better Business’ campaign, said: “GM is not only a large employer but is a major provider of cars and vans to companies across Britain. Therefore, we believe GM’s recruitment to the campaign will play a crucial role in helping to deliver the ‘safety first’ driving message to fleets nationwide.”

GM’s ‘Safe Driving Programme’ covers its 600 employees who drive an average of 20-25,000 miles a year in company cars. Additionally, many of the initiatives also extend to the company’s 5,400 other employees who clock up private miles and are part of the company’s Car Plan scheme.

The Programme covers a number of GM operating companies in the UK and Ireland including Vauxhall, Opel Ireland, Saab GB, Cadillac, Corvette and Hummer and staff at the company’s manufacturing plants in Luton and Ellesmere Port.

Mr Parfitt said: “The aim is for GM to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of drivers, passengers and the public with regard to vehicles used on company business.”

As well as extending the policy to all users of vehicles administered by GM and to their families, as far as is practicable and reasonable, the company also ensures that GM UK Fleet Management and other vehicle supply or administration organisations are involved in the safety policies.

Mr Parfitt said: “We aim to ensure that contractors as well as company employees and customers are mindful of vehicle safety at all times.”

In the future, GM is looking to introduce compulsory eye-sight testing for all drivers, an online driver training programme for families of all drivers whether they travel on business or not and to extend its best practice sharing with more customers and suppliers.