What ISO 39001 covers
ISO 39001 is the international standard for a Road Traffic Safety (RTS) management system. Its explicit aim is to help organisations reduce, and ultimately eliminate, the death and serious injury associated with road traffic crashes. It provides a structured, measurable way to manage road safety rather than treating it as a matter of individual driver behaviour alone.
It applies to any organisation that interacts with the road traffic system — fleet operators, logistics and delivery businesses, public transport, and organisations whose sites or activities generate significant traffic.
What certification involves
Certification is a two-stage assessment that examines how road traffic safety is managed, typically including:
- Analysis of the organisation’s road traffic safety risk and performance factors
- RTS objectives and targets, and the plans to achieve them
- Operational controls — journey planning, vehicle suitability, driver competence and fitness
- Incident investigation and learning
Surveillance audits across the three-year cycle confirm performance keeps improving. It complements occupational safety certification such as ISO 45001 within the ISO Certifications portfolio.
Climate change: since ISO’s February 2024 climate action amendment (ISO 39001:2012/Amd 1:2024), the standard requires you to determine whether climate change is a relevant issue for your organisation, and notes that interested parties can have climate-related requirements. Certification audits include it.
How ABS helps
We prepare you for the certification audit in five steps, tailored to ISO 39001:
- Scope and gap assessment — we agree the scope of your road traffic safety management system and assess what you already have against the standard, so you know exactly what to close.
- Implementation — we help you analyse your road traffic safety risk, set objectives and targets, and put in place operational controls for journey planning, vehicles and driver competence, plus incident investigation.
- Internal audit and management review — we help you run the internal audit and management review the standard requires, so the system has a record of operating before the audit.
- Readiness check — a pre-assessment, approached the way an auditor would approach it, highlights anything still to close.
- Audit support — we support you through the certification body’s Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits and help you close any findings.
Timeline & process
For most organisations, ISO 39001 certification takes around 12–16 weeks, depending on the size of the fleet and operations in scope. Each engagement begins with a fixed-price scoping call and a proposal within 24 hours.
Common questions
Who needs ISO 39001?
Organisations that interact with the road traffic system as part of their operations — fleet and logistics operators, public transport, delivery businesses and any company with significant driving activity, including those whose sites generate road traffic.
How does ISO 39001 relate to ISO 45001?
ISO 45001 manages occupational health and safety broadly, including driving for work; ISO 39001 focuses specifically on reducing death and serious injury related to road traffic. Organisations with substantial road exposure often use both.
How long does ISO 39001 certification take?
For most organisations, ISO 39001 certification takes around 12–16 weeks, depending on the size of the fleet and operations in scope.
What does ABS do, and what does the certification body do?
ABS prepares you for certification: we agree the scope of your road traffic safety management system, assess the gaps, help you implement it, support your internal audit and management review, check readiness and support you through the audits. The certification body, an independent, accredited organisation you choose, carries out the Stage 1, Stage 2 and surveillance audits, makes the certification decision and issues the certificate.
How long is an ISO 39001 certificate valid?
Three years. The certification body carries out surveillance audits in the first and second years, and a recertification audit before the three-year cycle ends.
Which edition of ISO 39001 is current, and is there a transition?
The current edition is ISO 39001:2012, with the climate change amendment added in 2024. There is no transition under way.
