New research from Fleet21 reveals how UK businesses are failing to implement driver safety initiatives for grey fleet drivers.

A third of employers do not check whether grey fleet drivers have the correct business car insurance, while nearly half (43%) said that they do not check whether grey fleet vehicles have valid MOTs.

The Fleet21 Business Driver Report, which looks at the current trends and attitudes of business drivers in more than 500 UK businesses, has found that grey fleets are being neglected by employers. Only a quarter (24%) of grey fleet drivers are individually risk assessed compared to 35% of company car drivers.

Fleet21 has found that just 37% of grey fleet cars are checked by businesses for their roadworthiness, compared to 75% of company car vehicles.

Simon Turner, managing director, Fleet21, comments, “Grey fleet compliance is a key issue for businesses in 2013. Employers need to realise that however far, or infrequently, their grey fleet drivers travel, they still pose a significant risk to their business. In our experience, grey fleets are often the forgotten drivers with businesses unsure of how to assess their risk and what action to take. As a result, adequate processes are not being put in place which is a worrying state of affairs.”

According to the report, the one exception to the trend is that the majority of businesses surveyed check the driving licences of both company car (75%) and grey fleet drivers (73%).

Turner continues, “While there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution for managing driver safety compliance, initiatives needn’t be costly or time consuming. It is vital that employers act responsibly and take the time to understand legislation, making all reasonable effort to minimise risk for both company car and grey fleet drivers.  There are over 25,000 people driving illegally for businesses in Britain so checking licences on a regular basis, for all drivers, direct with the DVLA, is an essential part of this. Likewise checking that grey fleet drivers are properly insured – there are many different types of business insurance and it is estimated that around 20% of those that actually have got business insurance have the wrong type of cover3. Beyond this, employers should also be looking at risk assessing drivers and offering a mix of online and in-car training to their employees depending on individual risk level.”

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