ISO 39001 Certification for Road Traffic Safety Management
ISO 39001 certification proves to clients, tender panels, and insurers that you manage road risk on purpose. It covers your drivers, vehicles, journeys, and contractors. Your system is audited against ISO 39001:2012 with senior-led audits and a fixed fee. Most fleets certify in 6–12 weeks.
What Is ISO 39001 Certification?
ISO 39001 certification is independent confirmation that your road traffic safety (RTS) management system meets ISO 39001:2012. The auditor checks how you cut deaths and serious injuries from road crashes your organization can influence. They look at drivers, vehicles, journeys, contractors, and your response when a crash happens. A successful audit leads to a certificate valid for three years.
The stakes are high. The World Health Organization estimates about 1.19 million people die on the world's roads each year. For many companies, driving is the most dangerous thing employees do at work.
ISO 39001 turns road safety from a set of rules into a managed system with targets, data, and review. The audit looks at that system at your depots and on the records behind your fleet.
ISO 39001:2012 and the Revision Now Under Way
ISO 39001:2012 is the edition you certify to today. Its full title is Road traffic safety (RTS) management systems — Requirements with guidance for use. ISO technical committee TC 241 looks after it.
A 2024 amendment added climate change. Amendment 1:2024 asks whether climate change is a relevant issue for your organization, in line with other ISO management system standards.
A new edition is being drafted. ISO decided in 2025 to revise the standard, and a working draft is in development. Until a new edition is published and a transition period announced, ISO 39001:2012 certificates remain valid. We will tell certified clients what changes once the new text is final.
Sources: ISO 39001:2012 (ISO) · Global status report on road safety 2023 (WHO)
Who Needs ISO 39001 Certification?
Any organization whose people, vehicles, or services affect safety on public roads.
Trucking, courier, and last-mile fleets. See ISO certification for logistics.
Bus, coach, school transport, and taxi operators carrying the public.
Energy, water, and telecom crews who drive between sites every day.
Contractors moving plant and working beside live traffic.
Operators with long-distance journeys and remote-site driving.
Sales and service staff driving their own cars on company business.
RTS Performance Factors in ISO 39001
Clause 6.3 asks you to pick the factors you will measure and improve. ISO 39001 sorts them into three groups.
| Factor group | What it means | Typical fleet examples |
|---|---|---|
| Risk exposure | How much road risk you carry | Kilometres driven, vehicles, drivers, and trips by road type |
| Final safety outcome | The result you are aiming for | Deaths and serious injuries, falling over time |
| Intermediate safety outcome | Factors proven to drive the final result | Speed, seat belt use, fatigue, distraction, alcohol and drugs, vehicle safety, journey planning, and post-crash response |
Auditors check that your chosen factors match your real risks. They also check that each factor has data, a target, and an owner.
ISO 39001 Certification Requirements, Clause by Clause
ISO 39001 shares its clause structure with other ISO management system standards. Here is what each clause asks for and the evidence an auditor reviews.
| Clause | What it requires | Evidence the auditor reviews |
|---|---|---|
| 4. Context | Your role in the road traffic system, interested parties, and scope | A scope that includes owned, leased, contracted, and grey-fleet driving |
| 5. Leadership | An RTS policy, commitment, and assigned roles | Leaders who set road safety targets and review them |
| 6. Planning | Risks, RTS performance factors, objectives, and action plans | Factors with baselines, targets, and dated actions |
| 7. Support | Coordination, resources, competence, awareness, and documents | Driver licence checks, training records, and briefings |
| 8. Operation | Operational planning and control, plus emergency preparedness | Vehicle checks, journey plans, and a tested crash response plan |
| 9. Performance | Monitoring, crash and incident investigation, internal audit, and review | Telematics or incident data, investigations, and audit results |
| 10. Improvement | Nonconformity, corrective action, and continual improvement | Root causes found and actions that cut repeat incidents |
ISO 39001 vs ISO 45001, ISO 14001, ISO 28000, and ISO 9001
Fleets often hold several standards. This is what each one proves and how they work together.
| Standard | Focus | How it relates to ISO 39001 |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 45001 | Occupational health and safety | Protects workers; ISO 39001 adds risk to the public and other road users |
| ISO 14001 | Environmental management | Fuel, emissions, and spills; safer driving often cuts fuel use too |
| ISO 28000 | Security management | Cargo and vehicle security; ISO 39001 covers crash risk on the road |
| ISO 9001 | Quality management | On-time, consistent service; shared structure for one integrated audit |
How ISO 39001 Certification Works
Six stages from the first call to a three-year certificate. See our ISO certification process guide for the full detail.
Have a tender or contract renewal that needs ISO 39001? Share the date in your scoping review and we will plan audits to meet it.
Book a free scoping reviewCommon ISO 39001 Audit Findings
The gaps that most often delay a certificate. Check these first.
System findings
- Grey-fleet or subcontracted driving left out of scope
- Performance factors chosen without baseline data
- Road safety targets with no owner or deadline
- Crashes logged but not investigated for causes
- Management review that skips road safety data
Depot and fleet findings
- Driver licence checks not repeated on schedule
- Daily vehicle checks missed or not signed off
- Driving hours and fatigue limits not monitored
- Telematics alerts collected but never reviewed
- Crash response plan never rehearsed
ISO 39001 Certification Cost and Timeline
We do not publish a list price. Your cost depends on the audit man-days your scope needs, quoted as one fixed fee.
What sets the audit man-days
- People: drivers and other staff within the scope
- Depots: yards, hubs, and offices to visit
- Fleet: vehicle numbers, types, and road exposure
- Risk: passengers, hazardous loads, or night driving
- Integration: combined with ISO 45001, 14001, or 9001
How long it takes
| Proposal | Days after scoping |
|---|---|
| To certificate | Usually 6–12 weeks |
| Surveillance | Once a year |
| Recertification | Before the end of year three |
How to Choose an ISO 39001 Certification Body
Questions to put to any certification body, and the answers you will get from us.
| Question to ask | Accredify Global's answer |
|---|---|
| Who issues our certificate? | Your proposal names the certification body, before you commit. |
| Can our clients check the certificate? | Yes. Every certificate can be checked on our certificate verification page. |
| Will you visit our depots? | Yes. Depots are sampled in line with IAF multi-site rules, and the central function is audited every time. |
| Can you combine standards? | Yes. ISO 39001 can be audited together with ISO 45001, 14001, and 9001. |
| Will you also write our procedures? | No. We do not consult, so every audit stays impartial. |
| How is it priced? | A fixed fee, set by audit man-days, in a tailored proposal after a free scoping review. |
Frequently Asked Questions About ISO 39001 Certification
Straight answers on the current edition, scope, performance factors, cost, and timeline.
What is ISO 39001 certification?
ISO 39001 certification is independent confirmation that your road traffic safety management system meets ISO 39001:2012. A certification body audits how you reduce deaths and serious injuries from road crashes your organization can influence. That covers your drivers, vehicles, journeys and contractors.
What is the current version of ISO 39001?
ISO 39001:2012 is the current and only edition, with Amendment 1:2024 adding climate change considerations. ISO has decided to revise the standard and a new draft is in development. Certificates to the 2012 edition stay valid until a transition is announced.
Who needs ISO 39001 certification?
Any organization that uses the road network or affects others who use it. Typical users are haulage and logistics fleets, bus and coach operators, taxi and delivery services, utilities with field fleets, and road construction contractors.
Is ISO 39001 a legal requirement?
No. ISO 39001 is voluntary. Transport tenders and large shippers often ask for it. It also helps you show that legal duties on drivers and vehicles are managed.
What are RTS performance factors?
They are the measures you choose to track road safety. ISO 39001 groups them into risk exposure, final safety outcome, and intermediate safety outcome factors. Intermediate factors include speed, seat belt use, fitness to drive, and vehicle safety.
How is ISO 39001 different from ISO 45001?
ISO 45001 covers occupational health and safety for workers in general. ISO 39001 focuses on road traffic risk, including risk to other road users and the public, not only your employees. Many fleets run both as one integrated system.
Does ISO 39001 apply to companies without their own fleet?
Yes. If staff drive for work, or you contract transport or influence road safety through your products or services, ISO 39001 can apply. The scope covers the road risks you can influence, not only the ones you own.
How long does ISO 39001 certification take?
Most organizations with a working road safety program certify in 6 to 12 weeks from Stage 1 to the certificate. Large fleets, several depots, or a system built from scratch take longer.
How much does ISO 39001 certification cost?
The cost follows the audit man-days your scope needs. Headcount, number of depots, fleet size and the activities in scope all set the man-days. A free scoping review gives you a tailored, fixed-fee proposal.
How long is an ISO 39001 certificate valid?
Three years. Surveillance audits take place each year, and a recertification audit comes before the certificate expires.
What documents does ISO 39001 require?
Expect a road traffic safety policy, RTS performance factors and objectives, action plans, and an emergency response plan. You also need records of competence, monitoring, crash and incident investigation, internal audit and management review.
Does ISO 39001 require crash investigation?
Yes. Clause 9.2 asks you to investigate road traffic crashes and other incidents. The aim is to find causes you can act on and to prevent repeats.
Can ISO 39001 cover several depots?
Yes. Depots that run the same road traffic safety system can share one multi-site certificate. The certification body audits a sample of depots and the central function every time.
Can ISO 39001 be combined with ISO 45001 or ISO 14001?
Yes. ISO 39001 shares the common management system structure. It can be audited with ISO 45001, ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 in one integrated audit.
Does Accredify Global help us write our road safety procedures?
No. Certification must stay impartial, so neither we nor the certification body can design or write your system. We can explain the standard and the audit process.
Show Clients Your Road Risk Is Managed, Not Left to Chance
Tell us about your fleet, depots, and deadlines. We'll confirm your ISO 39001 certification scope and send a fixed-fee proposal.
Book your free scoping review →Last reviewed by the Accredify Global certification team.