FLEETS that have been subjected to investigation by the police following fatal road crashes have described the process as ‘harrowing’.

After the introduction of the Road Death Investigation Manual, the police have become much more rigorous with their enquiries, according to Saul Jeavons, head of investigations and risk management at the Transport Research Laboratory. He claimed fleets would be seen by top-level officers who would leave no stone unturned in their search for a guilty party.

‘The police that come to investigate you probably won’t be traffic police,’ warned Jeavons. ‘They’ll be CID and used to dealing with old lags.’

Jeavons recommended that fleets get a copy of the Road Death Investigation Manual to ensure they are covered for all potential avenues of inquiry.