Company drivers are continuing to put their employers at risk by ignoring basic health and safety guidelines and driving unsafe or illegal vehicles on company business, research reveals.
The latest Vehicle Monitor Survey, by vehicle management company Total Motion, which inspected 2,018 company- and privately-owned vehicles used for business purposes, found that 18% of the vehicles were unroadworthy and 35% were not properly maintained.
Checks on drivers showed that 6% had invalid licences, 3% had no tax, and 12% of those using private vehicles were not properly insured.
About 81% of all drivers admitted to not carrying out the recommended weekly safety checks on items such as tyres, lights, fluids and glass.
“Most of these clients do have policies and procedures in place, but the results show that drivers are failing to adhere to them,” said Total Motion managing director Simon Hill.
“Almost half the drivers (42%) said that even if they were monitored on making the basic safety checks, they would tick to say they had done them without actually doing so.”
Hill called for better driver education, more stringent checks and heavier penalties on drivers to force them to take health and safety more seriously.
