Employers, fleet and HR managers should be exercising their duty of care to help their grey fleets to stay safe and legal when driving for work, says the AA.
Lex Autolease's Report on Motoring found that approximately 14 million drivers use their own vehicles for work in the UK, but many employers are unaware of their duty of care to these employees.
If an employee is involved in a fatal collision while using their own vehicle then an organisation can be prosecuted for corporate manslaughter, but a survey last year by Grosvenor Leasing found that nearly half of fleet managers consider grey fleet management 'unimportant'.
Stuart Thomas, director of fleet and SME services at the AA said: "Driving is the most dangerous activity for most workers during office hours, but if your contractor were to have an accident while out on business, would you know who was liable?”
The AA added it is also vital for drivers to understand the importance of responsive and responsible driving, including the correct use of technology such as sat navs.
Government guidelines say drivers should control sat navs which are not built into the car only via a Bluetooth headset, voice command, a dashboard holder or mat or windscreen mount.
Thomas added: “Employers and HR managers can share essential information and guidance to help drivers to stay safe and legal on the road within a driver’s handbook, which should be issued to all employees who drive for work.
“This should also note actions drivers should take in the event of an incident in support of the company’s policies and procedures, and is a good place to include information on the prohibition of alcohol and drug use while driving.”
Eric Bristow - 27/04/2018 13:46
As a fleet manager, I know the importance of managing the grey fleet. However, getting this across to the senior management is proving difficult. There is a lot of "it will not happen to us" attitude to contend with.