DOCUMENT management and digital printing company Océ is putting hundreds of its drivers through psychometric-based driver training programmes in a bid to reduce accidents.

The move is part of an ongoing campaign to slash crash-related costs at the company which has saved an estimated £126,000 over the last five years.

It operates a 530-strong UK company car fleet but globally runs 6,000 vehicles in 14 countries. The DriverMetrics Fleet Driver Risk Index was developed by Cranfield University in conjunction with driver training and risk management company Peak Performance.

The behavioural-based, half-day training session aims to help drivers identify and change their more risky driving behaviours.

Using results produced by the assessment, Peak trainers coach drivers to ‘recognise, manage and change’ aspects of their current driving behaviour which place them at risk behind the wheel.

Océ (UK) fleet services co-ordinator Colin Jones said: ‘The online risk assessments, we believe, will help identify our drivers’ attitudes to driving risk, while the behavioural-based training will allow them to gain a better understanding of themselves, how they approach driving and what they might need to change in their behaviours.’

Peak Performance managing director James Sutherland said: ‘By identifying an individual driver’s behaviour characteristics through the online risk assessments, training can be targeted in a much more effective way, and the driver can more easily understand what aspects of their driving are likely to cause them to be involved in a road traffic accident and how to overcome them.’