Careless driving ‘common’ among company car drivers

Drivers have admitted to examples of careless driving, including hogging the middle lane, running red lights and speeding on a daily basis.  

Almost half (58%) of drivers admitted to speeding, while nearly as many (46%) said that they hog the middle lane on motorways and drive too slowly (44%).  

More than a third (37%) also admitted to being distracted by their satnav or mobile phone occasionally, while more than half (54%) of respondents confessed to regular sudden braking.

Furthermore, almost three-quarters (71%) of drivers said that they go against the Highway Code to use their headlights to signal to other drivers.

“Drivers who are unfamiliar with the details of the Highway Code may be surprised to learn that they risk a £1,000 fine for flashing their headlights to signal to another vehicle for any reason other than to highlight their presence,” said Simon Staton, client management director for Venson Automotive Solutions.  

“With an estimated 14 million grey fleet drivers and nearly two million true fleet drivers on the UK’s roads, businesses operating fleets should be particularly concerned by our survey findings."

He explained: “The risks businesses are exposed to by careless driving of employees are significant.

"Working together with fleet managers, senior management teams within organisations must help enforce a robust policy and processes to ensure drivers not only keep their Highway Code knowledge fresh and up to date, brushing up on existing rules and understanding any changes, but also that persistent offenders are highlighted and bad behaviours managed accordingly.”  

Drivers deemed to be ‘careless and inconsiderate’ can face an unlimited fine and 3-9 points on their licence, while using a hand-held mobile phone risks £1,000-£2,500 fine and 6 points. 

“Having drivers fully aware of the duty of care to themselves, their employer, other road users and pedestrians, should help them to understand how to reduce the risk of incurring significant financial penalties, avoiding significant harm to others and limiting the risk of losing their licence,” continued Staton.

“All of these will impact business efficiencies and could even end up with a custodial sentence for a company director should a serious incident occur.”  

Hogging the middle lane or tailgating are common high-risk problems on UK motorways, so much so that National Highways has launched a campaign – Keep a safe distance - specifically targeting the issue.

Close to half of the Venson survey respondents admitted to hogging the middle lane, and 12% confessed to tailgating.

Worryingly, a survey commissioned by National Highways found that these behaviours can seriously affect other drivers. Lane hogging was among the behaviours most likely to cause frustration for motorists, while tailgating was among the most likely to make drivers feel anxious, stressed or unsafe.  

Staton concluded: “Careless driving not only risks directly causing a collision, but it can increase stress for other drivers and therefore cause them to be distracted and more likely to cause a collision themselves.

“Increasing driver focus and reducing bad habits through driver training and awareness campaigns will help improve safety and reduce risk for all road users.”