The RAC has launched RAC Accident Management, a new B2B service for businesses with large fleets, following a £2 million investment in a market leading IT platform.

The accident management service aims to build on the RAC’s strength of brand to secure strong commercial terms in the supply chain that are then passed on to fleet companies.

Added to this, suppliers have also invested in technology that enables them to deal with a significant proportion of work using the well-established RAC Rapid Repair.

This solution means that an increasing proportion of repairs are able to be fast tracked, to reduce overall time – offering effective cost control and a materially faster-than-average repair process, says RAC.

Considering that some larger fleets can have up to 50% of their vehicles damaged in accidents a year, the overall benefits of this new service are significant.

Head of accident services Jim Monteith said: “The main focus for fleet operations remains effective risk management and cost control – this has always been the case and never more so than now.

“Obviously, the ideal is to prevent accidents in the first place, however, if they do happen then our objective at RAC Accident Management is to ensure that repair costs don’t spiral and the repair is carried out as quickly as possible.”

RAC Accident Services cover all business vehicles including HGVs. The Service includes breakdown and roadside assistance with a First Notification of Loss (FNOL) capability and a new online claims management system.

Repairs are then carried out by a nationwide network of 150 RAC Approved Repairers using genuine manufacturer parts.

RAC scrutinises repair estimates and underwrites all repairs for three years. The new IT system enables customers to view their own claims status online.

RAC can also provide customers with total loss management and salvage or disposal of vehicles.

For more on how RAC is strengthening its position in the fleet sector, read this week’s Fleet News.