Fleet safety

Employers have a legal and moral responsibility to look after the safety of their staff, and part of this duty of care is ensuring employees are safe on the roads if their job requires any driving.

It is the responsibility of employers to ensure company cars are in good working order and that their staff have the necessary skills and training for driving. We have more information on how to check the safety of your work vehicle using How Safe is Your Car, a website which rates the safety of new and used vehicles.

Road crashes are the most common form of work-related fatalities, injuries and absence from work in Australia, and studies show that one quarter of all company cars are involved in a crash each year.

We recommend you adopt fleet policies for your work vehicles so you are ensuring employers and staff understand their obligations when using a company car.

The costs of work vehicle crashes

The cost of crashes in a work vehicle can be significant. If a staff member is killed or injured the personal and emotional cost is high. Then there is the financial cost of a work-related crash with unplanned absences, costs to the car, payments to third parties and superannuation.

It is important for companies to do their best to reduce the likelihood of crashes and keep vehicle insurance premiums as well as repair and maintenance costs down.

Most importantly, no employer wants to have one of their staff killed or injured in an accident.

eLearning Module

The TAC has developed an eLearning module designed to help the community experience how 'Towards Zero' minimises the risk of death or serious injury on the roads by taking into account their interaction between roads, vehicles, speeds and road users.

The eLearning module can be linked to or downloaded for deployment on your Learning Management System. More information on downloading the SCORM package is available

By the end of this course, learners should be able to:

  • Describe what 'Towards Zero' is
  • List the principles that underpin 'Towards Zero'
  • Identify who is involved in 'Towards Zero'
  • Indicate what role different people play in 'Towards Zero'
  • Recognise that everyone can make a difference on Victoria's roads.

The TAC encourages organisations, community groups and individuals to undertake the module.