Safety Culture
In order to improve fleet safety organisations need to adopt a broader perspective and develop initiatives targeted at the underlying cultural issues further influencing fleet safety.
Hence, the systems based approach, described in this manual, provides a framework for achieving and improving standards within fleet safety management. However, as this is ultimately about people changing behaviour and adopting the procedures and following the rules, it will require the organisation to create the environment in which everyone commits to fleet safety. Such a culture is characterised by a shared vision within all departments and by all staff within an organisation of the seriousness of the fleet safety problem to be addressed and the effectiveness of the systems and measures necessary to tackle it.
Ensuring management commitment and support is an integral process in the successful completion of all interventions. If managers do not provide commitment and support (e.g., “walk the talk”) it demonstrates to staff that perhaps management do not recognise work-related road safety as a high risk. This will likely hinder completion of interventions or countermeasures by the organisation’s drivers.
