Managing grey fleet risk with NRSPP’s new safety model

The National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP), delivered by the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC), has developed a new framework to help organisations improve how they manage safety risks linked to grey fleet vehicles.

The Grey Fleet Safety Management Model (GFSMM) provides structured, evidence-based guidance for managing vehicles that are owned or leased by employees but used for work purposes.

Under Australian law, these vehicles are considered workplaces, which means employers share responsibility for ensuring they are roadworthy, insured, and used safely.

What is grey fleet?

Grey fleet is any vehicle that is not owned or leased by an organisation but is used by staff for work travel. Examples include employees using their own cars to attend meetings, travel to clients, or deliver goods and services.

Managing grey fleet vehicles presents challenges such as:

Limited visibility of maintenance and roadworthiness

Inconsistent checks of driver licensing and insurance

Lack of clear accountability for vehicle-related incidents

Minimal monitoring of driver fitness and wellbeing

The GFSMM was designed to address these gaps and provide a clear structure that organisations of any size can apply.

How the model was developed

The GFSMM builds on NRSPP’s 2017 Grey Fleet Safety Management Guide and combines insights from research, industry consultation, and applied testing.

Development involved:

Establishing a Grey Fleet Working Group to guide research and model design

Conducting a review of academic and practical literature

Analysing grey fleet governance, management, and incident data

Partnering with 4 focus organisations across the finance, disability care, retail, and not-for-profit sectors to test and refine the model

These partnerships helped validate the model in different operational environments. Participating organisations used the GFSMM to review their policies, complete audits, and introduce measures such as updated fleet policies, improved vehicle reporting, and targeted driver training programs.

The structure of the GFSMM

The GFSMM is built around 13 key criteria, grouped across three focus areas: compliance and driver readiness, planning and governance, and people and performance.

Compliance and Driver Readiness

Licence, Registration, and Administration Checks – Ensures all drivers hold valid licences and vehicles are registered and insured.

Fitness for Duty, Health, and Wellbeing – Encourages monitoring of fatigue, stress, and physical health.

Vehicle Maintenance and Servicing – Focuses on keeping vehicles roadworthy and well-maintained.

Planning, Governance, and Leadership

Journey Management – Supports safe and efficient trip planning.

Grey Fleet Policy – Outlines roles, responsibilities, and insurance requirements.

Management Commitment – Emphasises leadership involvement in supporting safe driving.

Communication and Consultation – Promotes open dialogue to strengthen safety culture.

People, Performance, and Continuous Improvement

Work Orientation and Induction – Ensures new employees understand driving expectations.

Driver Safety Training and Education – Supports ongoing learning and competency.

Vehicle Selection and Suitability – Ensures vehicles are fit for purpose.

Incident Reporting – Encourages accurate documentation of crashes and near misses.

Indicators and Performance Measures – Tracks progress over time.

Data Recording, Reporting, and Storage – Ensures secure management of safety-related data.

Together, these 13 elements create a comprehensive, measurable framework for safer grey fleet operations.

Focus partner testing

The GFSMM was tested with four focus partners representing the finance, disability, not-for-profit care, and retail sectors. Each partner undertook a baseline evaluation that included a Grey Fleet Safety Maturity Model assessment, a Grey Fleet survey, and a focus group.

Together with the NRSPP team, each organisation co-designed an action plan, developed and implemented supporting resources, and later completed a longitudinal test to repeat the baseline and measure progress.

One case study highlighted an organisation with a large remote casual workforce and limited awareness of grey fleet responsibilities among its leadership and staff. Using the GFSMM, the organisation conducted a WHS audit and implemented several key actions.

These included updating its grey fleet policy, creating pre-start checklists, improving registration and insurance reporting, conducting grey fleet audits, introducing a wellbeing platform, and delivering grey fleet training.

The online tool and resources

To help organisations put the model into practice, NRSPP has created an online version of the GFSMM. This digital platform simplifies the assessment and monitoring process and provides practical resources that align with the 13 criteria. Its key features include:

Digital Assessment tool: a short 10-20 minute survey will generate the GFSMM score for each of the criteria and overall, for those that are Program Partners a report will be generated with short, medium and long term actions.

Policy and Procedure Templates: Offer a foundation for writing or updating grey fleet policies, including examples of standard clauses on insurance, driver eligibility, and maintenance expectations.

Stakeholder Mapping Guides: Help identify decision-makers and influencers in the organisation who are responsible for road safety and fleet operations.

Toolbox Talks and Learning Resources: Provide short, practical discussion materials on topics such as vehicle road worthiness, duty of care, pre-start checks, and risk awareness.

Performance Tracking and Certification: The tool can generate detailed reports, store progress data, and produce certificates recognising the organisation’s maturity level.

The platform is designed to support both small and large organisations. Smaller businesses benefit from simplified tools and templates, while larger ones can use the maturity assessments to embed continuous improvement across multiple departments.

The online tool also reinforces learning by combining policy guidance with real-world examples. Organisations can record their assessments over time, making it easier to demonstrate compliance, monitor improvements, and communicate results internally or to external stakeholders.

A shared approach to safety

The GFSMM reinforces that workplace road safety depends on cooperation between leadership, employees, and supporting teams. When all levels of an organisation take part in managing grey fleet risks, safety performance improves.

By using the GFSMM, organisations can better meet their legal obligations and create safer work environments for everyone who drives as part of their job.

The Grey Fleet Safety Management Model and its online resources are available through the NRSPP website at Grey Fleet Safety Management Model (GFSMM).

Organisations can also register as NRSPP Partners to access additional tools, templates, and updates that support ongoing workplace road safety improvement.

Become an NRSPP Program Partner to access the full GFSMM

There is no cost to become an NRSPP Program Partner (PP), but similar to the GFSM,M which involves the following:

Create a Partner Profile – Establish an organisation’s presence within the NRSPP online platform.

Complete the Partner Measures Assessment Tool (PMAT) – A approx. 20-minute survey covering five core themes that define workplace road safety culture.

Receive a Results Report – A customised report outlining strengths, improvement areas, and actionable insights.

Develop SMART Actions – Partners self-nominate internal and external actions using the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-based).