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Agency drivers: 'four times more crashes'
Page 10
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• by Chris Tlndd Agency drivers are increasing the risk profiles of companies by an alarming 400% by being involved in accidents far more often than employees.
Research by risk management specialist Risk Answers, part of the Fleetsafe Group, reveals that agency drivers are not only up to four times more accident prone—compared with permanent staff those accidents tend to be 25% more expensive.
Risk Answers director Jeremy Hay says most operators are unaware of the risks presented by agency drivers: "A fleet with 5% of its vehicles driven by agency staff could expect these drivers to be accounting for 15%-20% of all incidents," he warns.
However, Risk Management says steps can be taken to stop this from happening and it has compiled a checklist for fleets employing agency drivers.
This covers points such as vetting the agency, using the same drivers if possible and even paying incentive bonuses. Hay adds: "There are examples of some very good agency dnvers and they will not object to having their dnving records and ability scrutinised because they have nothing to hide."
Adam Lane, managing director of the recruitment firm Lane Group, describes the findings as "interesting" but warns that the results of the Risk Answers survey are unsubstantiated.
However, he admits that temporary drivers do face problems: "When you have an agency driver, you get a driver who has possibly driven a lot of vehicles and may not be ultimately familiar with the particular assignment."
The Freight Transport Association says the results are difficuft to believe—a spokesman says: "Employee drivers, due to continued involvement, are perhaps less likely to be involved in accidents. But a survey which shows agency drivers to be involved in four times as many is very surprising."