Wiltshire Council has launched a safe-driving scheme that could eventually be targeted at up to 5,000 employees who drive their own vehicles on work-related journeys.

The council has launched a six-month pilot scheme, which sees 250 randomly selected employees enrolled on to Fleet Support Group’s web-enabled RiskMaster programme.

The pilot will run through to the end of March 2011 and if deemed a success will result in all 4,500 to 5,000 full-time and part-time-staff, volunteers and agency workers who drive their own vehicles on council business enrolled onto RiskMaster.

Management of public sector grey fleets has been in the spotlight with a report from the Office of Government Commerce, now part of the recently established Efficiency and Reform Group within the Cabinet Office, calling on council’s to review the use of staff driving their vehicles on business trips.