Fleet managers and decision makers are losing out financially by overlooking safety, according to road safety charity RoadSafe.

Research, released by eSafetyAware, shows 60% of fleet managers in the UK believe safety is an important consideration when procuring vehicles. However, further responses in the survey of more than 100 fleet managers and decision makers in the UK, show many are not acting on their beliefs.

Less than a third (28%) look for a Euro NCAP rating when purchasing cars and vans. Only 42% said their policies considered duty of care. 41% said there were no requirements for specific safety equipment in vehicles, and substantial numbers were unaware of, or uninterested in, the latest electronic safety technologies.

In the UK, more than 150 vehicles driven on company business crash each day. Every year, an estimated 7000 deaths and injuries on UK roads involve at-work drivers.

Adrian Walsh, RoadSafe director, says, “Fleet decision makers rightly focus on driver behaviour, but many seem to overlook the importance of buying or leasing safe vehicles.

“They must look out for those equipped with the latest technology, such as Electronic Stability Control, and those with the highest Euro NCAP ratings.”

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