LeasePlan USA has partnered with SurePlan to develop a new fleet safety and accident management program. Developed in Australia, SurePlan has helped clients of LeasePlan Australia reduce accident costs by an average of 39 percent. The new joint venture between LeasePlan and SurePlan USA will operate as LeasePlan Risk Management Services. For the past two years, the two companies have been working together to tailor a program for the U.S. marketplace. The new fleet safety and accident management program is set to launch during the first quarter of 2005. “Most companies focus their efforts on managing costs once an accident occurs,” said David Dahm, CEO and president of LeasePlan USA. “Under this new comprehensive program offered by LeasePlan Risk Management Services, we will continue to focus on controlling these costs while also concentrating on areas to help eliminate accidents – this is where additional and significant cost savings can be achieved.” LeasePlan’s new fleet safety program is built around SurePlan’s proprietary Circle of Safety methodology that incorporates four essential elements: fleet safety policy, risk reporting and analysis, safe driving programs and at-risk training. “The basic philosophy behind the Circle of Safety approach is that people, not cars, have crashes,” explains Adrian Stone, president of SurePlan USA. “As a result, our program focuses on driver behavior, attitudes and education. With the right support, drivers have the choice to drive safely, just as management has the choice to make safety a priority.” In addition to fleet safety, LeasePlan Risk Management Services will utilize enhanced electronic communications for back-end processes, such as purchase order requests, notifications, and approvals. According to LeasePlan, the new electronic processes will reduce downtime and also increase reliability as well as limit a fleet manager’s direct involvement on phone calls, which means fewer interruptions to daily activities.