On road risk assessments are very good starting point for identifying your organisational on road risk. There are of course advantages and limitations.
Advantages
· Opportunity to assess the driver in their environment
· Opportunity to identify at risk driving behaviours
· Provides a clear benchmark for driver performance
· Identifies the highest risk drivers
· Provides an opportunity to focus training on drivers needing support
· Drivers often revert to type when they have settled into their normal driving style
· Record of assessment
· Risk grading
· The information provided from the assessment can be used to reduce risk
Limitations
· The length of the assessment can be too short which does not provide an opportunity for the driver to demonstrate competence in a variety of driving environments
· The driver knows they are being observed
· The driver gives back the behaviours they think the trainer wants to see and hear
· Feedback maybe limited to identifying high risk behaviour with little or no opportunity for driver development
· Seen as a start and finish process with no further follow up
· The information provided from the assessment is not used
· The driver feels ‘picked on’ and resents taking part in the assessment
The above lists are not exhaustive. However, you have to consider how to best manage on road risk within your organisation and make a decision about how you are going to go about this.
Risk assessments are only one intervention in the risk assessment tool box. How you ‘sell’ the introduction of on road risk assessments to your workforce can dramatically influence their effectiveness. Punitive or one of the perks for working with a forward thinking organisation with a culture of work farce safety and well being?
How will you use the opportunity presented by carrying out on road risk assessments to reduce your risk?
https://www.celticdrivertraining.co/on-road-risk-assessments/
