Customers can be 'deterred' by unsafe company drivers

According to new research from TomTom Telematics, two-thirds of motorists said they would be less inclined to do business with companies whose drivers were 'unsafe' or 'discourteous'. Over 1,000 British consumers were interviewed as part of the survey, in which just three per cent of respondents considered van drivers likely to be either safe or careful on the roads. The other four participants in the 'bottom four' of drivers were high performance and sports car drivers, taxi drivers and truck drivers, who received four per cent, eight per cent and eight per cent of the vote respectively. Following the survey, TomTom Telematics suggested that the figures obviously represented a great opportunity to help British businesses raise their standards in order to improve the public perception of them. Taco van der Leij, the VP for marketing at TomTom, said: 'I think business owners may be surprised by the results of this survey and the extent to which poor driving standards can impact on their companies. 'But help is at hand. 'Telematics technology can play a key role in helping companies tackle issues around driving standards by providing employees with access to the appropriate training, guidance and technological aids. 'While telematics has traditionally been the focus of fleet managers and operations directors, this survey clearly shows that it should also be on the radar of the marketing department. By improving how they are perceived on the road, businesses can establish themselves as responsible brands worthy of consumer trust.î Van Drivers were also bottom of the list when it came to courtesy and politeness, alongside high-performance and sports car drivers.æ Both categories scored 3 per cent of the vote, with SUV Drivers and truck drivers both only just beating them with 4 per cent and 5 per cent respectively. Drivers of small and company cars were considered the safest on the road, with 27 per cent of the vote.æ Saloon car drivers were next with 23 per cent, and bus and coach drivers third with 17 per cent.ææ The most polite and courteous drivers were believed to be small and compact car drivers, who took 26 per cent of the vote.