A third of company car drivers would not report minor damage to their employer, according to a new survey by Venson Automotive Solutions.

The figure has almost doubled since 2015, when the same question was asked of company car drivers (17.5%).

Drivers do appear to be more involved in keeping their car in good running condition, as 57% of respondants said they would make a concerted effort to top up the coolant, compared with 54% in 2015.

Almost a quarter (24%) said they are likely to ignore dashboard warning lights, down from 28% in 2015.  

More than half of employees (57%) mistakenly believe their employer is responsbile for servicing their company car.

Simon Staton, client management director of Venson Automotive Solutions, said: “It is worrying to see the high proportion of company car drivers who do not think car maintenance is their responsibility. Not only is this putting them at risk of the car breaking down, or causing a serious incident, it also creates potentially high repair costs for their employer.

“Implementing a few simple changes could significantly reduce wear and tear costs to the business. For example, regular maintenance checks by employees or the business can help identify issues early and avoid things getting worse and causing further damage.

“In relation to end of contract damages, it is  important for fleet operators to ensure they fully understand the contract they have with their fleet provider, so that they can avoid unnecessary costs at the end of the vehicle’s contract term.”

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