How fleets can reduce the risks posed by the Fatal Five

Speeding
At least one speed-related factor was assigned to 52% of fatal collisions in 2025. Given that 29% of road fatalities occur in collisions involving someone driving for work, speeding represents a significant risk for fleet managers. The danger lies not simply in speed itself, but in its effect on reaction times and stopping distances. By reducing their speed, drivers give themselves more time to respond to hazards and reduce the distance needed to stop, helping to prevent collisions.

Fleet managers can take proactive measures to reduce speeding, including providing training on its impact and maintaining realistic schedules that do not encourage drivers to take risks to meet deadlines. Together, these measures can help create a culture of safer driving while increasing awareness of the dangers associated with excessive speed.

However, speeding can still occur despite these precautions. Telematics data can help identify patterns of risky driving and alert managers to instances of speeding, while targeted driver coaching and vehicle speed limiters can provide additional safeguards.

Drink and drug driving
Alcohol and drugs significantly impair a driver’s ability to identify hazards and react to them. In 2025, alcohol was recorded as a contributory factor in 13% of all fatal collisions, while drugs were a factor in 12%. Ensuring that those who drive for work are fit to do so can improve road safety and reduce risk across a fleet.

Raising awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence is a crucial part of reducing the risk it poses. Information sessions should outline the ‘morning after’ risk, explain how long alcohol can impair driving ability, and highlight the dangers posed by certain prescription medications.

Clear policies and consistent enforcement are equally important. Ensuring that drivers understand company policy and the seriousness with which impairment is treated creates an effective deterrent to unsafe behaviour.

Not wearing a seatbelt
Around a quarter of car occupant fatalities where seatbelt status was known involve people not wearing a seatbelt. Seatbelts remain one of the most effective road safety measures and one 
of the simplest protections available to drivers. Ensuring they are used on every journey is an 
easy but important way for fleets to reduce risk.

People aged 17 to 29 are particularly at risk. 

The AA Charitable Trust for Road Safety and the Environment has revealed that between 2021 and 2025, the proportion of car occupants aged 17–29 who were killed while not wearing a seatbelt was around 45% higher than the all-age rate. This highlights that young people just starting to drive for work need targeted education and support to ensure they wear their seatbelts.

Vehicles fitted with persistent seatbelt reminders can help reinforce good habits, while including occupant restraints within vehicle inspection checklists underlines their importance and ensures they remain in good working order.

Combining these practical measures with regular reminders of the protection seatbelts provide can help ensure they are worn consistently and reduce the risk of drivers travelling unrestrained. The importance of targeted messaging is reflected in the AA Charitable Trust’s #BuckleUp campaign, which highlights the disproportionate number of younger vehicle occupants killed while not wearing a seatbelt.

Distraction
As infotainment systems become larger and more sophisticated, and mobile phones play an increasing role in navigation, the potential for driver distraction continues to grow. While a driver may only intend to glance at a screen for a moment, road conditions can change rapidly and hazards can emerge unexpectedly.

Reducing distraction requires measures that limit both the opportunity and temptation to use mobile devices while driving. Fleet managers should remind their drivers that the handheld use of mobile phones while driving is illegal and reinforce this with policies requiring ‘do not disturb’ modes and ensuring navigational details are entered before setting off.

These measures should be reinforced across the wider company. Drivers should not be contacted while on the road unless absolutely necessary, and managers should review procedures to ensure that no aspect of a role requires employees to use a mobile phone while behind the wheel.

Careless and inconsiderate driving
Careless and inconsiderate driving involves a range of behaviours, such as tailgating, poor lane discipline and inappropriate overtaking. These actions increase the risk of collisions by reducing the time and space available for drivers to identify hazards and respond appropriately.

VR-based learning can help drivers experience situations from the perspective of other road users, such as cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians. Events can be slowed down, replayed and paused for discussion, allowing drivers to consider alternative courses of action in greater detail than would be possible on the road.

Training can be combined with the use of dash cams and telematics monitoring to identify unsafe behaviour. This information can be used to target additional coaching where it is needed most, assess driver performance and recognise those who consistently demonstrate safe driving behaviours. Incentives and recognition schemes can further encourage high standards behind the wheel.

Educating and enforcing
While each element of the Fatal Five presents its own challenges, they share underlying causes and so must be addressed with a cohesive approach that blends education and enforcement.

Training helps drivers understand the risks associated with unsafe behaviours, reducing the likelihood of them engaging in any of the Fatal Five, while clear policies help set expectations and consequences, reinforcing the seriousness of unsafe driving behaviours. Finally, monitoring and consistent consequences help ensure those lessons are put into practice, allowing for targeted intervention where appropriate.

Addressing the Fatal Five in fleets requires a combination of education, assessment, policy, data and targeted intervention to deter drivers from dangerous practices. Together, these measures can improve driver safety, reduce risk across fleets and support wider efforts to make the UK’s roads safer for everyone.

Leo Taylor is director at Drivetech.

For more information see: 
drivetech.co.uk