The road is statistically the most dangerous place to work, and without robust risk management processes, fleet drivers face a significantly higher chance of being involved in an accident on the job.

Fleet risk managers work hard day in and day out to protect their drivers and the organisation at large, but all too often, there are blind spots in workflows and capabilities that let hazards go unaddressed or even unnoticed.

In this guide, we’re looking into 7 of the most severe yet common risk management shortcomings in 2026, offering clear steps to improve processes, operational efficiency, and – most importantly – driver safety.

1. Relying on paper-based risk assessments

According to recent survey data, over 50% of UK fleets are still relying on paper-based driver risk assessments.

On the surface, filling in forms and storing them in folders may seem straightforward, but in practice, this approach creates multiple hidden risks and inefficiencies.

• Inconsistency and human error – Paper forms rely heavily on the person completing them. Different assessors may interpret scoring criteria differently, overlook key risk factors, or fail to follow up on high-risk behaviours. Even small inconsistencies can snowball across a fleet, leaving some drivers inadequately assessed and exposing the organisation to preventable incidents.
  

• Poor visibility and limited reporting – With paper assessments, fleet managers have no easy way to aggregate data across multiple drivers or sites. Identifying trends, high-risk drivers, or recurring issues becomes time-consuming, and important patterns may go unnoticed until an incident occurs. This lack of visibility makes it harder to make informed decisions about training, resource allocation, or policy updates.
  

• Administrative burden and delays – Collecting, storing, and manually reviewing paper forms is labour-intensive. Tracking which drivers have completed assessments or chasing up overdue forms consumes significant staff time, often taking attention away from proactive safety management. In large fleets, this can mean months pass before risks are addressed.
  

• Audit and compliance challenges – Paper records are harder to organise, search, and present for compliance audits. Missing, damaged, or misfiled forms can result in incomplete documentation, which is a serious concern under UK health and safety regulations and for insurance purposes. Demonstrating due diligence to regulators or insurers becomes unnecessarily complicated.
  

• Limited integration with other risk management tools – Paper-based assessments are static; they can’t feed into telematics data, training platforms, or automated alerts. Without integration, managers are forced to interpret raw data manually, missing opportunities to act on high-risk behaviour quickly or to target interventions effectively.

How to improve

If you’re looking for ways to improve fleet risk management in your company, and you’re still handling data manually, digitising should be your number 1 priority.

That doesn’t just mean typing up assessment data and saving it on your computer — although that can offer some benefits. It means using a dedicated digital management system that not only standardises and stores data in one place, but also automates reporting and follow-ups, integrates with other tools, and makes it easier to take timely, effective action to reduce risk.

2. Limited visibility of driver behaviour

Even when fleets move away from paper forms, many managers still struggle to get a clear picture of how their drivers behave on the road. Without reliable insight into driving patterns, risky behaviours such as speeding, harsh braking, or fatigue go unnoticed until an incident occurs.

This limited visibility makes it difficult to prioritise training, allocate resources effectively, or intervene proactively. Managers may rely on anecdotal reports or sporadic spot checks, which can lead to inconsistent enforcement of safety policies and missed opportunities to reduce risk.

How to improve

Telematics devices can give fleet managers real-time insight into driver behaviour, highlighting patterns such as speeding, harsh braking, or long hours behind the wheel. By using these systems, managers can more easily identify high-risk drivers, prioritise training, and take timely action to improve safety across the fleet.

3. Underutilising telematics data

Simply having telematics data isn’t enough. Without proper management and integration, the information sits unused, failing to inform risk reduction or driver improvement strategies.

Raw telematics data can be overwhelming and difficult to interpret, which is likely one of the key reasons why, shockingly, 65% of UK fleets are yet to introduce telematics systems(1).

Fleet managers may struggle to identify which behaviours are genuinely high-risk, or how patterns differ between drivers, routes, or shifts. This limits the ability to target interventions effectively and can result in the same risky behaviours continuing unchecked.

How to improve

By integrating telematics with a centralised platform capable of processing the data against existing company and driver information, managers can turn raw numbers into actionable insights. 

High-risk drivers are quickly identified, personalised coaching and training can be delivered, and fleet-wide trends can be monitored in real time, enabling proactive, data-driven risk management rather than reactive firefighting.

4. Insufficient or misguided driver training

Recent research revealed 39% of professional drivers have never been offered any form of driver or rider training or assessment. Even among those who do receive training, it is often assigned on a blanket basis, without clear evidence that it addresses the specific risks faced by individual drivers.

Generic training may tick a compliance box, but it rarely delivers meaningful behavioural change if it doesn’t reflect how a driver actually behaves on the road. At the same time, high-risk drivers may go unnoticed, while low-risk drivers are assigned unnecessary training, diluting both impact and engagement.

How to improve

Driver training should be targeted, proportionate, and informed by real risk data. By drawing insights from driver assessments and behaviour data, fleet managers can identify where risk genuinely sits and tailor training accordingly.

This is most effective when telematics and centralised risk management systems are used to translate behaviour data into clear, actionable training priorities. However, data alone is only part of the solution.

Building in-house capability to assess driving skills in person — for example through Driver Assessor Training from Cardinus — allows organisations to validate data-led insights, deliver more meaningful interventions, and support drivers on the issues that matter most.

Both eLearning and in-vehicle driver training formats can be impactful, which is why we offer both. Personalised training not only delivers better safety outcomes, but also improves driver buy-in by ensuring support is relevant, timely, and focused on the areas where it is genuinely needed.

5. Not hiring a fleet risk manager

53% of UK fleets don’t actually employ anyone as health and safety manager within the central team(1). Instead, responsibility for driver safety and compliance is often shared across multiple roles, with no single owner accountable for managing risk end-to-end.

While safety may be viewed as a collective responsibility, the lack of a dedicated role can lead to inconsistent processes, unclear accountability, and critical tasks being deprioritised amid competing demands. Without specialist oversight, risks may go unidentified, compliance activity can become fragmented, and opportunities for proactive improvement are often missed.

How to improve

Assigning clear ownership of fleet risk, whether through a dedicated fleet risk manager or a clearly defined role within the organisation, creates accountability and consistency. 

With a single point of responsibility, organisations are better placed to embed structured processes, act on data-driven insights, and ensure driver safety remains a strategic priority rather than an operational afterthought.

6. Sporadic vehicle safety checks

Nearly half of UK fleet businesses fail to carry out regular vehicle safety checks(1), leaving vehicles on the road with undetected faults that could lead to accidents, breakdowns, or regulatory breaches. Even minor issues, if left unaddressed, can escalate into serious safety risks.

In many cases, checks are performed inconsistently or recorded manually, making it difficult to confirm whether inspections are being completed on time or whether defects are being properly resolved. This lack of consistency increases exposure to risk and undermines an organisation’s ability to demonstrate compliance.

How to improve

Vehicle safety checks should be scheduled, recorded, and monitored consistently across the fleet. Digitising inspection processes makes it easier to ensure checks are completed on time, defects are logged and resolved promptly, and records are readily available for audits.

By embedding vehicle checks into a structured fleet risk management process, organisations can reduce mechanical risk, improve compliance, and keep drivers safer on the road.

7. Inconsistent compliance with UK regulations

Maintaining compliance across a fleet is more than just checking licences and MOTs. With multiple drivers, vehicles, and shifting operational demands, it’s easy for requirements to slip through the cracks. Missed driver hours, overlooked maintenance, or inconsistent policy enforcement can leave organisations exposed to fines, higher insurance premiums, or reputational damage.

Many fleet managers still rely on manual tracking or disconnected systems, which makes it difficult to maintain consistent compliance and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Without a centralised approach, gaps can go unnoticed until a regulatory inspection or an incident occurs.

How to improve

The most effective way to improve compliance is to adopt a centralised, automated approach to managing regulatory requirements.

Where appropriate, outsourcing resource-intensive tasks such as licence and document checking can further reduce administrative pressure, allowing fleet managers to focus their time on higher-value activities like risk reduction and driver safety.

If you’re not sure where you’re going wrong in terms of compliance and risk exposure, we highly recommend booking an On-Site Fleet Management Audit as a matter of urgency. Our expert assessors will carry out an exhaustive review of your current standards, helping you to understand your organisational risk levels and plan next steps.

Bringing it all together with Healthy Working: Safe Driving

Many of the most common shortcomings in fleet risk management stem from the same root causes: fragmented data, manual processes, and a lack of clear visibility into where risk actually sits. Addressing these challenges requires more than isolated fixes; it calls for a joined-up, data-driven approach.

Healthy Working: Safe Driving is designed to support exactly that. By centralising risk assessments, integrating telematics data from multiple providers, and translating it into actionable insight, the platform helps fleet managers identify high-risk behaviours, target training where it’s genuinely needed, and maintain consistent compliance without increasing administrative burden.

With automated checks, structured reporting, and personalised driver support, Healthy Working: Safe Driving enables organisations to move away from reactive risk management and build a safer, more proactive fleet, protecting drivers, reducing incidents, and supporting long-term compliance. Request a free trial of Healthy Working: Safe Driving today.

Citations

1. Research reveals business fleets neglect road safety: Bodyshop Magazine