This project is about the reporting, investigation and recording of accidents involving company vehicles, which are a major cost area in terms of both human life and money. The research was commissioned by the Department for Transport to better understand accidents involving company vehicles in Britain. From what is known, it is clear that company vehicles of all types are involved in a disproportionately high number of accidents when compared to vehicles not being driven for work purposes. Many company vehicle accidents are never recorded at the national level because they fall between or outside of the current Stats19 and RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995) reporting systems. Given this, the research had two primary objectives. 1. To produce a comprehensive review of company vehicle incident reporting and recording (CoVIR) systems currently employed by a range of organisations. 2. To develop best practice recommendations for a company vehicle accident recording system that could be used throughout the UK. The methodology adopted to meet these objectives included a literature review, analysis of 80 existing company vehicle accident report forms, and interviews with over 50 managers from a range of organisations, who were also requested to complete a questionnaire. The main findings of the research suggest that the scope of current systems includes preaccident information, at-scene information, post-accident procedures and accident analysis. Current systems are strong on claims management, but weaker on accident investigation and analysis for risk management purposes. Other problems include: poor quality reporting, a lack of standard codes and key performance indicators (KPIs) for classifying and analysing accidents involving company vehicles, and the lack of any formalised system of auditing company performance. For the situation to be improved, change management and implementation were identified as key barriers to overcome. (Author/publisher)
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