Recent research has shown that there
are an estimated 24,000 employees
driving illegally for companies in the UK.
… continued from previous page
Encourage drivers to take photographs.
Most mobile phones have cameras, but
some companies provide disposable
cameras in vehicles as well.
Note-taking is of paramount importance
too and drivers should record vehicle
and driver details, passenger
information, incident location and time,
weather conditions, visibility and
anything else that could be relevant,
plus of course vehicle damage, injury
and details of police attendance.
Detailed incident data will assist greatly
with insurance claim processing, and
will help to establish why the situation
happened and how to avoid
reoccurrence.
Don’t overlook your ‘Grey
Fleet’
Britain has been revealed to be a nation
of hidden business fleets, with a third of
British drivers who drive as part of their
job shown to be uninsured for business
driving. On average, these drivers clock
up 4,708 uninsured business miles per
year whilst driving for work.
Despite this, HR departments are often
uncertain of how to assess this risk and
what action to take. Many are still
unsure what constitutes a grey fleet.
For clarity, any member of staff who
uses their own car to make a business
journey, however small, can be
considered a grey fleet driver.
From an employee making occasional
work-related trips, to a high mileage rep
who has taken a cash option to
purchase their own car – the same
criteria applies. The employer is
effectively making the decision to use
the employee’s car as a company
vehicle and therefore, it must be
treated as such.
So, the worst has happened; one of
your grey fleet drivers has been
involved in a serious accident that
causes injury to either themselves or
another road user.
The police will of course launch an
investigation into the circumstances
surrounding the incident, and will
inevitably pay close attention to the
employer’s fulfilment of their
obligations under Health and Safety at
Work legislation.
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