Fleets Not So Safe

A large number of company fleet operators do not bother to carry out even the most basic safety checks on employees who drive for work says a recent survey.

More than a quarter of fleet operators do not check that their drivers have correct motor insurance, and 40 per cent were unaware of whether or not their employees' vehicles had a valid MOT.

Fewer than half of all operators checked whether employees were driving the right car for the job. All of the respondents said that they checked licences, but the majority only did so once a year and 14 per cent said they only checked on an ad hoc basis. Although it is incumbent on individual employees to take a reasonable amount of responsibility for their own safety, the company does have a legal obligation to keep its staff safe.

"Our survey has highlighted a real problem that the industry should be very concerned about," said a motor insurance spokesman.

"Over the course of a year, a driving licence, MOT, motor insurance and even the car the employee is using can and does change. Leaving it a full year between checks is exposing these employers to the risk of prosecution and putting employees at risk," he added.

Be Wiser is a quality provider of Motor Insurance.