The guide states that 94% of motor vehicle accidents are caused by driver error. But not all driver error has the same context. Risk does not begin only when a harsh brake, distraction alert or collision appears in fleet data. A driver's ability to respond safely may also be affected by fatigue, emotional stress and physical discomfort. These are risk-management considerations, not personal failings, and they need to be understood alongside observable driving behaviour.

Smart leaders prepare for storms brings together cited industry research, aggregated behaviour and claims insight, and customer examples to support a broader view of fleet risk. The guide explains how telematics and claims data can be combined with human context to help safety teams identify useful indicators and provide more targeted support.

What the guide examines

• Fatigue and collision likelihood: research cited in the guide reports that drivers who have had five to six hours' sleep are 1.9× more likely to have a collision, rising to 11.5× with fewer than four hours' sleep. It also reports that crashes involving fatigue are 50% more likely to result in serious injury or death.
• Emotional stress: the guide summarises research showing associations between stressful life events and increased accident risk, including a reported 4.4× increase during divorce and 1.8× when a driver has an ill relative or has experienced bereavement. These figures describe associations in the cited research, not proof of direct causation.
• Physical pain: more than 50% of drivers in the cited research reported physical pain while driving. Of those experiencing pain, 70% said it affected their ability to drive, while 41% reported more than 'quite a bit of difficulty', particularly when looking over their shoulder.
• Behaviour and claims insight: the guide's aggregated data highlights tailgating, mobile phone use and harsh braking as useful leading claims indicators. It also considers factors such as time of day, vehicle type, location and repeat drivers.

Customer examples featured in the guide

The guide reports a 38% drop in collisions across Clean Linen's business, a 93% reduction in mobile phone usage at Vp Brandon Hire Station, an 88% reduction in at-fault claims within one year at Cappagh Browne, and a 21.9% drop in road accidents at FM Conway. These examples are presented separately from the cited research and aggregated claims-data findings.

Download the guide to explore a more informed and preventative approach to fleet safety, combining relevant data with human context so teams can support drivers before risk develops into an incident.