Risk Evaluation

Risk evaluation identifies the hazards your employees are exposed to, then ranks them by probability and severity. For a fleet, the road is one of them. In France, the employer records this risk in the single occupational risk assessment document (document unique d'évaluation des risques professionnels, or DUERP), mandatory from the first employee.

Evaluation is the second step of risk management, after risk analysis. It answers a simple question: how big is each risk? It lets you focus your resources on the most serious threats.

Why is the road an occupational risk?

For INRS, the French institute for occupational health and safety, driving as part of a work assignment is a work activity. Road risk on work trips must therefore be evaluated like any other risk and included in the single document (INRS, in French).

The stakes are high. For ONISR, road risk is “the leading cause of work-related deaths”. ONISR is France's national interministerial road safety observatory (Observatoire national interministériel de la sécurité routière).

INRS distinguishes road risk on work trips from commuting risk, between home and the workplace. Commuting accidents are far more frequent than accidents on work trips (INRS).

What must the single document contain?

The DUERP lists the hazards and the results of the evaluation. No template is imposed, whether on paper or in digital form. Its content and how often it is updated depend on headcount (Service Public Entreprendre, in French).

Headcount	Expected content	Updates
Fewer than 11 employees	Inventory of risks, results of the evaluation, list of prevention actions	With every decision that changes working conditions, or new information about a risk
11 to 49 employees	Inventory, results, list of prevention actions	At least once a year, and with every change; the works council (CSE) is consulted
50 employees or more	Inventory and annual prevention program: measures, indicators, costs, timetable	At least once a year, and with every change; the CSE is consulted
All companies	Every version is kept	40 years from the date it was drawn up

The DUERP can be consulted by employees, the CSE, the occupational health service and the labor inspectorate. Our glossary entry on the single occupational risk assessment document explains how to draft it.

How do you evaluate a fleet's road risk?

The usual method combines two factors. Probability measures how often an event could occur. Severity measures its consequences, from a scratch to a death.

A score is often calculated as follows: Risk = Probability × Severity. A scratch on the bodywork is likely but not serious. A brake failure is rare but catastrophic, so it goes to the top of the priority list.

Applied to a fleet, the evaluation relies on concrete data. Mileage, driving hours, vehicle type, maintenance condition and past claims inform the probability. The nature of the trips and the type of roads used inform the severity.

INRS suggests several areas of action (INRS): organizing travel, choosing and equipping vehicles, and setting rules for communications. Managing skills, through recruitment and training, completes the picture. The French Highway Code (code de la route) bans drivers from using a handheld phone. It also bans wearing any device that emits sound in the ear, such as an earpiece or headset (Article R412-6-1, in French). A hands-free kit built into the vehicle is not covered.

What does an employer risk without an up-to-date single document?

Having no DUERP, or a DUERP that is not kept up to date, is a fifth-class petty offense (contravention de 5e classe). The fine reaches €1,500 for an individual employer and €7,500 for a legal entity (Service Public Entreprendre). These amounts double for a repeat offense.

Failing to make the DUERP available to the CSE is the criminal offense of obstruction (délit d'entrave). It is punishable by a €7,500 fine (Article L2317-1 of the Labor Code). A prison sentence only applies to obstructing the setting up of the CSE or the free choice of its members. Our driver safety guide suggests practical actions.

How Dadycar helps

The claims and fines module keeps a history of every event, vehicle by vehicle. The ANTAI offenses and post-parking charges (FPS) module completes the picture. This way you identify the real risks in your fleet.

Inspections and condition reports document the condition of the vehicles. Maintenance plans and due-date reminders keep servicing up to date. The documents module tracks the validity of driver's licenses.

Donna, the AI agent, audits your account across six areas: compliance, maintenance, data quality, usage, costs, and claims and fines. Nothing changes without your approval.

Frequently asked questions

Does road risk have to appear in the single document?

Yes. For INRS, driving on a work trip is a work activity. This risk must be evaluated and included in the single document, like other occupational risks (INRS).

How often should the single document be updated?

From 11 employees, at least once a year. Whatever the headcount, it must also be reviewed with every decision that changes working conditions. New information about a risk also requires an update (Service Public Entreprendre).

Should commuting also be evaluated?

INRS distinguishes road risk on work trips, a work activity to be included in the single document, from commuting risk. Commuting accidents are more frequent (INRS). So it still makes sense to include them in your prevention thinking.