The spotlight has been turned on grey fleet drivers – those workers who use their own vehicles for business – after it emerged that they are particularly likely to skip essential maintenance as the recession hits their finances.

“When there is a finite amount of money in the household budget to go around, and the choice is to pay two out of three bills - the mortgage, the gas bill and a new pair of tyres for the car, which will lose out?” said Saul Jeavons, director of the Transafe Network

“Fail to pay the mortgage or the gas bill and it will not go unnoticed, but you’ll probably get away with leaving balding tyres on the car for an extra month.

"This means that companies, which may have their own problems in finding the money to keep their own vehicles maintained to the highest standards, will have to pay more attention to the grey fleet.”

CFC Solutions said the problem is already becoming evident.

“The most common problems we have had reported to us by customers in this area concern wear components, most often tyres,” explained Neville Briggs, managing director.

“We are seeing instances on fleets where grey cars are not meeting minimum legal standards.”

ATS Euromaster for example found at a recent inspection of commercial vehicles that almost a quarter of the vehicles it inspected during February 2009 were found to have at least one tyre-related issue which required either servicing or replacement.

“Grey fleets are becoming an ever larger management headache for employers, especially when it comes to making sure that they are maintained in line with manufacturer recommendations,” said Briggs adding that managing this issue requires a structured approach.

“You must put firm rules in place that meet legal guidelines regarding the running of your grey fleet.

"Then, you need to ensure that these rules are being adhered to in a way that can be audited.”

The RAC has also warned fleets that they can not rely on manufacturer breakdown cover.

“In an effort to cut costs, some manufacturers are reducing the level of breakdown cover available to customers,” said Steve Whitmarsh, senior partnership manager, RAC Corporate Partnerships.

“The lower level of cover is more common amongst high-volume manufacturers and will often not include driver-induced faults, punctures or accidents for example.

“Although some manufacturer breakdown cover provided is extensive, we advise fleets to ensure they are adequately covered to meet their needs and to be aware of the potential additional costs that could be incurred if they are not.

“It may be necessary to seek additional breakdown cover to avoid the possibility of fleet drivers being faced with the cost of any incident that isn’t included in the manufacturer’s assistance agreement.”

But it is not just missing essential maintenance tasks that will put drivers at risk.

“More drivers are using drugs to forget about their woes, or using amphetamines to keep themselves going through their second job or longer shift, and stressed, tired drivers are worried about their jobs,” said Jeavons.

With the use of drugs and alcohol on the increase, the need for an effective drug and alcohol misuse policy to ensure health and safety at work has never been more evident.

A regular drug user or alcohol misuser is 3.6 times more likely to be involved in an accident at work, is three times more likely to have sick leave, five times more likely to claim compensation, can be 33% less productive and 10 times more likely to be late, according to Grendonstar.