The call comes from Global NCAP, which has published a new guide that also recommends fleet managers confirm that the cars they purchase meet the most important minimum United Nations vehicle safety standards.

The organisation says that of the record level of 65 million new passenger cars built last year, as many as a third would fail to pass the UN’s front and side crash tests, and do not have air bags, anti-lock brake systems (ABS) or electronic stability control (ESC).

Global NCAP Secretary General David Ward said: ‘By following Global NCAP’s new guidelines, it will be easier for organisations to ensure that the safety of their vehicle fleet provides acceptable levels of protection to their employees.’

A growing number of organisations are introducing fleet safety policies and selecting only five-star cars for their employees, including BHP Billiton, the world’s largest resource extraction company, and the Governments of Australia and Sweden have already adopted this policy.

This approach is consistent with the recommendations of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety launched in 2011, which encourages ‘managers of government and private sector fleets to purchase, operate and maintain vehicles that offer advanced safety technologies and high levels of occupant protection’.

Global NCAP’s guidelines will also help organisations wishing to adopt the new road traffic safety standard ISO 39001, which identifies vehicle safety as a significant factor for fleet operators seeking to reduce death and injury in road crashes.

In a foreword to the guidelines, HRH Prince Michael of Kent, Patron of the Commission for Global Road Safety, said: ‘By adopting Global NCAPs recommendations, organisations will ensure that their purchase decisions meet best practice in safety management and make an important contribution to the UN Decade of Action.’

Download the Fleet Buyer’s Guide: http://www.globalncap.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/FleetBuyersGuide.pdf