Rivervale Drives Forward in Fleet Management
With the release of Rivervale DriverCare, we shine a spotlight on the “Fit 2 Drive” package. Have you ever wondered if your drivers or vehicles are truly fit for the road?
Rivervale has partnered with a leading fleet management software company to develop DriverCare, ensuring both drivers and vehicles meet safety standards.
The easy-to-use DriverCare App helps business directors comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and reduces risk by closing gaps in driver and vehicle checks.
Who can Driver Care help?
Driver Care has two sub-sections – ‘Fit 2 Drive’, which is for businesses, and coming soon ‘Drive for You’, aimed at private vehicle drivers.
Fit 2 Drive can help any business with company vehicles and even those who pay a vehicle allowance. It is a fully comprehensive software solution that makes it easier to manage day-to-day risks and problems.
How does it work?
Take the example of an electrical contractor with 45 vans, where drivers start and finish their day from home. They rarely go into the office, making it difficult for businesses to carry out checks remotely.
Fit 2 Drive solves this by prompting drivers each day to complete checks before starting their vehicle. Drivers answer simple questions to confirm they are fit to drive, helping business directors meet their obligations and reduce risk.
For instance, the app asks drivers to confirm they haven’t consumed alcohol in the last 12 hours or taken drugs or medication that could affect their driving. Each driver logs in and completes a tick-box series to ensure safety and compliance.
The app also checks that they have the correct driving licence entitlements to drive a particular type of vehicle.
Other checks include asking the driver to agree they have not been involved in a road traffic collision in the past 24 hours. This is important because it checks on the welfare of the driver and their ability to drive safely on the road. The app will also check for traffic violations.
If a driver disagrees with a question, their line manager will be alerted. They will be told not to drive the vehicle until they have spoken to their manager. At the same time, the app alerts us at Rivervale and we can pick up the baton and ensure a client’s interests are looked after.
We have recently integrated our App with Telematics – providing real-time access to a vehicle location, the trips it has made and the business mileage driven.
Do you check to make sure that your drivers are legal to drive?
Our Fit 2 Drive app is integrated with the DVLA, allowing us to carry out driving licence checks. We operate a traffic light system, so if a driver is disqualified and hasn’t told their employer or has points on their licence we get a red alert. We also check to ensure a driver is licensed to be behind the wheel of a certain vehicle.
We also carry out checks to ensure those who receive a company vehicle allowance are insured and have the correct insurance.
How can the app help to look after the vehicles?
Driver Care is designed to ensure a vehicle is checked daily and, in more depth, weekly. The app directs drivers to carry out simple daily checks, such as on windscreen wipers, lights and tyres. A more in-depth check, which includes mileage, is carried out weekly. This is all about pro-active servicing, which is important.
We know of a case where a company’s best engineer continued to drive with the engine light on. This resulted in the engine blowing up – something that cost his employer £8,000. You don’t know when something like that could happen, a driver could be in the outside lane on a motorway!
Driver Care ensures businesses keep on top of servicing, again reducing costs as well as increasing reliability. Anything to reduce downtime has to be a good thing.
What if a driver has a problem?
Driver Care is there for the drivers 24/7. If they encounter a problem or just need advice, they only need to press a button on the app. Our call handlers will know who they are and can help whatever situation they are in. It could be something like checking what paperwork is needed for a drive to Europe and having the right equipment in the car, such as safety equipment and a breathalyser. We have got everything covered.
In the event of an accident, for example, Driver Care ensures all the correct information is processed and that nothing is missed by using the simple checklist. Being involved in an accident can be very traumatic so having something there for the driver to lean on is very useful. You can even take images and upload them to the app.
Why Driver Care Fit 2 Drive is important
Any business that has company vehicles has a legal obligation to ensure they and their drivers are fit to be on the roads. Breaches can lead to hefty penalties and even come back on directors personally. The checks currently not being carried out as routine leave massive gaps that are putting businesses and their directors at risk, not to mention the drivers and other motorists.
