More than a third of company car drivers are not taking breaks from driving due to the pressures of work.

In addition, despite the obvious dangers, many more drivers are not conducting important checks on their vehicles to ensure they are roadworthy.

A survey of 217 drivers found that 82.7% of drivers are not conducting regular vehicle checks of tyre pressures, oil levels, water levels and lights.

The survey also found that 34.7% of drivers never stop for a break – mainly because they say they are under so much pressure to get to their next appointment.

Using data from its driver risk assessment system, E-Training World identified that more than a third of drivers never stop for a break, which contravenes most companies’ policies that recommend a 20-minute break for every two hours of driving.

“When you consider that fatigue is one of the key causes of accidents, and our motorways often now carry warnings recommending that drivers take a break, it is a startling statistic to consider that more than a third of company car drivers on our roads are ignoring the need to rest properly,” said Graham Hurdle, managing director of E-Training World.

“As for vehicle checks, due to the technology built into modern cars, drivers probably think that if a warning light doesn’t appear on the dashboard, the car doesn’t need checking.

"However, company directors should take heed that if the company handbook does not stipulate regular safety checks, and a driver has a blameworthy accident as a result of, let’s say, a worn tyre or the inability to see properly due to there being no water in the windscreen washer, they could be liable.”

This extends to the grey fleet.

With company owned or leased vehicles there is always a greater element of control over the condition of a vehicle, but with grey fleet vehicles, the policies and procedures designed to ensure they are in a safe condition have to be watertight.