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Politics, education, fleets
May 2009
Majority of Polish companies has their own car fleet policy. But only few of them organise safety training programmes and evaluate drivers’ skills. These are main conclusions from the report on "Drivers’ safety and practices in small and medium enterprises” of defensywnikierowcy.pl programme.
More than 820,000 car accidents and nearly 100,000 victims. These tragic numbers show what has happened on Polish roads in last 15 years. Annual losses caused by car accidents in Poland amount to approximately 2% of Gross National Product (GNP). This puts Poland on one of the top spots in this regard. Poland also has the lowest level of road safety.
Education and safety
Car accidents in Poland are often caused by the poor transport infrastructure, but most of all by reckless driving. Polish drivers frequently break the road and traffic rules, causing danger for both, themselves and other road users. Recently, more and more companies and organisations introduce company cars safety programmes. One of those is defensywnikierowcy.pl (defensive drivers) - Safe Company Car that takes place under patronage of Goodyear and BP Polska and is organised by the magazine Auto Firmowe (Company Car). One of the project elements is e-learning training for drivers. Each of them can test, whether he/she is a defensive driver, can drive smoothly, and knows road and traffic rules and safe driving principles. IPM company - on the basis of that project - has ordered a research of drivers’ safety and practices in small and medium enterprises for the safety of the road traffic. It was conducted in March and April 2008 and surveyed 150 small and medium enterprises in Poland.
There is publicity, there are no procedures
It was a nationwide research, and companies were divided by five regions - eastern, western, northern, southern and central. Majority of surveyed enterprises were trading companies (55%). The list of companies included those from building, chemical, electric and energetic sectors. 55% of managers confirmed that they have introduced the car fleet policy.
One third of questioned managers admitted that there are no such regulations in their companies. 11% were not aware whether their enterprises had had any procedures.
Polish companies willingly promote ‘safety on the road’ idea. As much as 74% surveyed enterprises confirmed such activity. Policy of controlling driving licenses and driver points is unusually rare in Polish companies. Such procedures exist in 38% of enterprises only, and as much as 47% has no policy at all. Survey of safe driving programmes showed that it was not a popular practice. Only 20% of companies have such programme. Drivers in Polish companies have no access to the driving trainings, but if they drive under the influence of alcohol they face serious consequences. Almost 80% of surveyed companies have introduced clear drink-driving and drug-driving preventing regulations. Only 15% of enterprises have no such procedures at all.
Centralisation of car fleet management
Drunk driver is a serious threat on the road, but the driver with not sufficient driving skills may also cause as much problems as drunken ones and be dangerous to other road users. Such driver is a trouble for the employer, too. Therefore, it is no wonder that there are companies that prefer to test the candidates before they will be given a company car. Unfortunately, it is still a rare practice. According to research results, only 17% companies have introduced test-drive system. As much as 74% of questioned admitted there are no such procedures within their entity. Who is responsible for car fleet management? Report points clearly. That is centralised. In most cases, decisions are made by the chairman or managing director (respectively 21 and 20 answers out of 150 companies). They are followed by the transport manager and owner (this refers to small business units, mostly individual business activities). According to authors of the report, crucial factors are: wise selection of vehicles, necessary safety equipment and proper car maintenance.
It is also important to introduce internal procedures and controlling tools properly, as well as educational activity and regular training programmes for drivers. All of these should contribute to increasing of employees’ motivation, company cars drivers’ safety and reduction of maintenance costs. And most of all, those activities will have a positive influence on the company’s image. In developed countries, the private sector has been a leader in undertaking initiatives preventing car accidents. It is a good sign that number of Polish companies, which implement the idea of social responsibility in this matter is growing significantly.
Safe fleet - report from TNS OBOP
Drivers’ safety and low costs are two main factors in Polish companies’ fleet policy. Such conclusion can be made when reading TNS OBOP report from the study research conducted in Polish enterprises. TNS has been conducting the CVO (Corporate Vehicle Observatory) research for Arval since 2003. Every year TNS continues it in European countries and this year started the research in India. Polish market became subject of the survey in 2006. The latest report was created on basis of interviews with car fleet managers in January and February. The results and conclusions are unequivocal. Drivers’ safety is by far the most important aspect of company fleet policy. It was admitted by 84% interviewee. The cost aspect was pointed by 71%. Employee protection is important to 46% and their motivation to 51% of questioned. Although, Poland came off badly in a global comparison. We have the oldest car fleet among surveyed countries. The average age of the car is 6.5 years. Portugal is a little better with the average of 6.4. The youngest car fleet in Europe is in Spain (average 4.1). But the best score, according to the report, was recorded in India, where the average age of the fleet car is 4 years.
Majority of Polish companies has their own car fleet policy. But only few of them organise safety training programmes and evaluate drivers’ skills. These are main conclusions from the report on "Drivers’ safety and practices in small and medium enterprises” of defensywnikierowcy.pl programme.
More than 820,000 car accidents and nearly 100,000 victims. These tragic numbers show what has happened on Polish roads in last 15 years. Annual losses caused by car accidents in Poland amount to approximately 2% of Gross National Product (GNP). This puts Poland on one of the top spots in this regard. Poland also has the lowest level of road safety.
Education and safety
Car accidents in Poland are often caused by the poor transport infrastructure, but most of all by reckless driving. Polish drivers frequently break the road and traffic rules, causing danger for both, themselves and other road users. Recently, more and more companies and organisations introduce company cars safety programmes. One of those is defensywnikierowcy.pl (defensive drivers) - Safe Company Car that takes place under patronage of Goodyear and BP Polska and is organised by the magazine Auto Firmowe (Company Car). One of the project elements is e-learning training for drivers. Each of them can test, whether he/she is a defensive driver, can drive smoothly, and knows road and traffic rules and safe driving principles. IPM company - on the basis of that project - has ordered a research of drivers’ safety and practices in small and medium enterprises for the safety of the road traffic. It was conducted in March and April 2008 and surveyed 150 small and medium enterprises in Poland.
There is publicity, there are no procedures
It was a nationwide research, and companies were divided by five regions - eastern, western, northern, southern and central. Majority of surveyed enterprises were trading companies (55%). The list of companies included those from building, chemical, electric and energetic sectors. 55% of managers confirmed that they have introduced the car fleet policy.
One third of questioned managers admitted that there are no such regulations in their companies. 11% were not aware whether their enterprises had had any procedures.
Polish companies willingly promote ‘safety on the road’ idea. As much as 74% surveyed enterprises confirmed such activity. Policy of controlling driving licenses and driver points is unusually rare in Polish companies. Such procedures exist in 38% of enterprises only, and as much as 47% has no policy at all. Survey of safe driving programmes showed that it was not a popular practice. Only 20% of companies have such programme. Drivers in Polish companies have no access to the driving trainings, but if they drive under the influence of alcohol they face serious consequences. Almost 80% of surveyed companies have introduced clear drink-driving and drug-driving preventing regulations. Only 15% of enterprises have no such procedures at all.
Centralisation of car fleet management
Drunk driver is a serious threat on the road, but the driver with not sufficient driving skills may also cause as much problems as drunken ones and be dangerous to other road users. Such driver is a trouble for the employer, too. Therefore, it is no wonder that there are companies that prefer to test the candidates before they will be given a company car. Unfortunately, it is still a rare practice. According to research results, only 17% companies have introduced test-drive system. As much as 74% of questioned admitted there are no such procedures within their entity. Who is responsible for car fleet management? Report points clearly. That is centralised. In most cases, decisions are made by the chairman or managing director (respectively 21 and 20 answers out of 150 companies). They are followed by the transport manager and owner (this refers to small business units, mostly individual business activities). According to authors of the report, crucial factors are: wise selection of vehicles, necessary safety equipment and proper car maintenance.
It is also important to introduce internal procedures and controlling tools properly, as well as educational activity and regular training programmes for drivers. All of these should contribute to increasing of employees’ motivation, company cars drivers’ safety and reduction of maintenance costs. And most of all, those activities will have a positive influence on the company’s image. In developed countries, the private sector has been a leader in undertaking initiatives preventing car accidents. It is a good sign that number of Polish companies, which implement the idea of social responsibility in this matter is growing significantly.
Safe fleet - report from TNS OBOP
Drivers’ safety and low costs are two main factors in Polish companies’ fleet policy. Such conclusion can be made when reading TNS OBOP report from the study research conducted in Polish enterprises. TNS has been conducting the CVO (Corporate Vehicle Observatory) research for Arval since 2003. Every year TNS continues it in European countries and this year started the research in India. Polish market became subject of the survey in 2006. The latest report was created on basis of interviews with car fleet managers in January and February. The results and conclusions are unequivocal. Drivers’ safety is by far the most important aspect of company fleet policy. It was admitted by 84% interviewee. The cost aspect was pointed by 71%. Employee protection is important to 46% and their motivation to 51% of questioned. Although, Poland came off badly in a global comparison. We have the oldest car fleet among surveyed countries. The average age of the car is 6.5 years. Portugal is a little better with the average of 6.4. The youngest car fleet in Europe is in Spain (average 4.1). But the best score, according to the report, was recorded in India, where the average age of the fleet car is 4 years.