Fleet safety tech is improving – but many drivers are left to figure it out alone

April 2, 2026

Modern company cars and vans now come with dozens of safety systems built in, but many drivers aren’t being shown how to use them properly.

At a recent industry roundtable hosted by i247 Group at the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association, fleets highlighted a growing gap between technology and driver understanding.

Today’s vehicles can include up to 70 driver-assistance features, from lane keeping to emergency braking. But without proper handover, those systems often go unused – or worse, switched off.

That gap starts early. Research shows more than half of vehicle handovers don’t include guidance on safety tech, while just 7% of company car drivers say they received a proper walkthrough. More than half are left to work it out themselves.

Where fleets are missing a trick

Vehicle handover is emerging as one of the weakest points in fleet management.

Delivery drivers or handover agents often don’t have the time or expertise to explain systems in detail. As a result, features designed to reduce risk, like adaptive cruise control or collision warnings, don’t deliver their full value.

There’s also a noticeable contrast across fleet types. HGV and van drivers typically receive structured training, while many company car drivers do not – despite using equally complex vehicles.

What better looks like

Some fleets are starting to treat handover and driver education as part of total cost management, not an afterthought.

That includes:

Structured vehicle walkthroughs focused on safety systems
Follow-up driver training once the vehicle is in use
Telematics data to identify poor habits early
Incentives or gamification to encourage safer driving

Tools like telematics are also helping fleets intervene sooner. For example, flagging repeated harsh braking or ignored warning alerts before they turn into incidents.

Providers that can help

Europcar Mobility Group UK, for example, combines flexible vehicle supply with ongoing support, maintenance and access to modern, safety-equipped vehicles, giving fleets more control without long-term commitment. Crucially, in real-world deployments like Camden’s EV rollout, that support extends to driver onboarding and training, helping drivers understand how to use features like regenerative braking and energy management properly.

And on the data side, platforms such as FleetCheck bring driver, vehicle and compliance data into one place, allowing fleets to spot poor habits early and intervene before they turn into incidents.