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Safety and Health Practitioner (SHP) is first for independent health and safety news.
March 15, 2013

Businesses’ neglect over grey-fleet drivers revealed

UK businesses are not doing enough to implement safety measures for grey-fleet motorists, new research from driver-services company Fleet21 has shown.

The attitudes of business drivers in more than 500 UK organisations were analysed as part of the ‘Fleet21 Business Driver Report’. The survey found that grey fleets – a term used to describe employees who use their own cars for business purposes – are often neglected by employers.

According to the findings, a third of employers do not check whether grey-fleet drivers have the correct business-car insurance, while 43 per cent said they do not check whether grey-fleet vehicles have valid MOTs.

Just under a quarter (24 per cent) of grey-fleet drivers are individually risk-assessed, compared with 35 per cent of company-car drivers. Risk assessments are vital, says Fleet21, because they enable businesses to identify high-risk drivers and, consequently, their training needs.

The differences in the level of attention employers give to grey fleets and company vehicles are particularly acute when it comes to roadworthiness – in this regard, the survey found that just 37 per cent of grey-fleet cars are checked by businesses, compared with 75 per cent of company-car vehicles.

Simon Turner, managing director of Fleet21, commented: “In our experience, grey fleets are often the forgotten drivers, with businesses unsure of how to assess their risk and what action to take. As a result, adequate processes are not being put in place, which is a worrying state of affairs.”

Overall, the report found driver safety initiatives to be inadequate, with road safety education provided for only a fifth of grey-fleet drivers and 28 per cent of company-car drivers. In addition, only 20 per cent of company-car drivers are assessed in respect of their mental state and attitude – a figure that drops to 16 per cent for grey-fleet drivers. The majority of businesses surveyed do, however, check the driving licences of both company-car (75 per cent) and grey-fleet (73 per cent) drivers.

Turner added: “While there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution for managing driver safety compliance, initiatives needn’t be costly, or time-consuming. It is vital that employers act responsibly and take the time to understand legislation, making all reasonable effort to minimise risk for both company-car and grey-fleet drivers.”

For more information on grey-fleet issues, visit: www.fleet21drivertraining.com

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