TWO of the biggest companies in the fleet risk management market have joined forces following a week of high drama in the industry.

IAM Fleet has bought Drive & Survive in a deal which will see the two brands working side-by-side.

The deal came at the end of a week in which Drive & Survive put itself into short-term administration while it brokered the deal.

IAM Fleet has bought the driver training and risk management side of Drive & Survive, with the events side of the business remaining as a separate entity, which is still in administration.

The events division was focused on a range of services, including ways to showcase new products and provide hospitality and events.

But the deal has turned what could have been a crisis for the company into a major positive for the key players and the industry.

IAM Fleet is the commercial training division of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, a registered charity, and a leader in the field of corporate driver training and fleet risk management. The company was formed in 1985 to improve the driving standard of company vehicle drivers.

It has worked with more than 1,000 companies throughout the UK and internationally, and its association with the Institute of Advanced Motorists ensures that any profit is reinvested in road safety.

Drive & Survive, shortlisted for a Fleet News Award this year, has a range of products aimed at reducing on-road incidents for corporate drivers.

Its products include individual driver risk assessments, risk audits, fleet driver training, seminars and risk-reducing incentive strategies.

It also has a range of strategic partners.

As a combined force, estimates suggest they represent about 30% of the fleet risk management industry.

Steve Johnson, managing director of Drive & Survive, said: ‘The company is very much alive and well and we are now a wholly-owned subsidiary of IAM Fleet.’