Who's Driving You to Court?
Added on 19th February 2008

In a move to reduce the 1,000 fatal car crashes involving work vehicles each year, police are launching a new campaign that will see companies prosecuted for failing to carry out basic  checks on their drivers and vehicles.So, what do you know about the people who drive for you on company business?  Have you seen their driving licence, their MoT certificate, their insurance certificate – and checked that it certifies their vehicle for use on your company business.   Do any of your drivers have convictions or points on their licence, if the answer is “I don’t know” then we say “You should find out”.

Research by the Health and Safety Executive shows that 20 people are killed and 250 are seriously injured each week in crashes involving someone driving for work.  The Metropolitan’s Traffic Unit has said that employers needed to realise that their responsibility for ensuring safety does not end when employees have left the company premises on driving duties.

Moreover, there’s great concern from the Department of Transport whose figures show that around 300 people lose their lives each year as a result of drivers falling asleep at the wheel.  Around forty percent of crashes relating to tiredness involve someone driving for work.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents welcomes the move by police with their figures showing: There are 3 million company cars plus a further 1 million private cars used on company business.  A third of company cars are involved in a collision each year and £2.7 billion is the estimate of the annual cost to employers through work related car accidents.

Contact our sister company at www.fleetmonitor.org for further advice.