Slow-speed manoeuvring and hit while parked collisions remain amongst the most common collision types reported by fleet drivers around the world. Although the costs of these individual incidents are relatively low, because of the high volume of such incidents, the overall costs to individual organisations stretch into millions of pounds in direct repair costs, as well as a wide range of hidden costs such as vehicle down-time and reduced resale values.

In many cases we have been involved in high amounts of “damage while parked” incidents have normally been a symptom of several factors.

• Telephone-based reporting systems, where it is easier for drivers to be selective with the truth or lose their memory about what actually happened. Such systems need to be managed effectively, and staffed by appropriately experienced and trained people – who ask the correct questions and are diligent in entering/coding the data effectively.
• Limited control over the risk management of the fleet, particularly the lack of any investigation process after incidents. Post-incident investigation, even for low-cost minor incidents, should not be neglected by the line managers of fleet drivers.
• The application of a bonus scheme for the avoidance of at-fault accidents or a penalty scheme/blame culture where the driver is penalised or has to pay the first part of the costs or meets the cost of the excess for any incidents they report..
• Poor parking skills and or depot/site/car park layouts. Many driver training programmes still appear to overlook low-speed manoeuvring, and few of the fleet managers who attend our programmes undertake the type of systematic risk assessments of their key sites that we would advocate.
• Inappropriate vehicle selection and scheduling decisions, where vehicles that are too large for the job – or to be effectively parked.
• Bigger organisations requiring drivers or the workshop to have an incident number before they can a vehicle repaired. This is a good idea, but needs to be managed carefully – as it can lead to the “First day of the month hit while parked syndrome”.

So how can such incidents be managed and reduced?

Whatever the exact causes of the high level of “damage while parked” incidents in a particular case, it is an issue that many fleets should focus on in detail to improve data collection, recording and analysis to allow better risk management of their assets.

 Countermeasures we would recommend considering to manage “damage while parked” incidents typically include the following.

• Implementation of detailed procedures, training, guidance, rules and work instructions for drivers, supervisors, workshop staff and claims handlers.
• Ensuring that when “damage while parked” incidents are reported by drivers they give complete information, particularly on the exact time, location address and type.
• Better reporting, recording investigation and analysis of incident types and locations to identify at-risk staff and particular blackspots. Hit while parked incidents should be investigated with as much rigor and depth as all other incident types – so that it is not seen as an easy way to report incidents despite what actually happened.
• Developing a campaign and “blitz” on “hit while parked” incidents, where for a few months they are focused on through communications, safety committees and meeting, detailed investigations and training programmes.
• Review of vehicle selection and scheduling policies to ensure that the correct vehicles are being allocated to the correct jobs.
• Using telemetry vehicle monitoring technology to monitor vehicles and drivers involved in repeated “hit while parked” or “damage found” type incidents.
• Encouraging honesty in reporting and better memory retention, with strong consequences for drivers found to be not reporting truthfully. Some of the more Sergeant Major type fleet managers we have worked with have suggested using lie detectors, but we suspect there may be some human rights, privacy, union and “political correctness” arguments against this approach.
• Targeted training interventions aimed at parking and maneuvering, and the importance of honest and accurate claims reporting by drivers.
• Making “hit while parked” an “at-fault” incident type when there is no known third party or witness; or changing the name to “Inappropriate parking”.
• Detailed analysis of parking offences by drivers.
• Improved risk assessment of locations, such as car parks and company or customer sites, where there are recurring problems.
• Improved communications and guidance for drivers on safe parking.