FLEET managers are playing with fire by ignoring the legal risks they are facing if they do not ensure their company car drivers are safe on the road, Amery-Parkes Solicitors has warned. Partner David Faithful said fleets must concentrate on the human cost of accidents to ensure they made every effort to enforce safety measures.

He added: 'If it can be shown that an accident was caused through over-ambitious demands on the employee, lack of training or poor vehicle maintenance, there is scope to prosecute the employer, if the responsible person can be identified. It must never be forgotten that every accident can result in an injury to a driver, with the risk of prosecution for motoring offences or corporate manslaughter. In the light of current Government thinking, this provides a chilling insight into what the future may hold.'