Company vehicle fleets are being put at the forefront of the drive to reduce deaths and injuries on the roads. Your cars, as well as vans and trucks, are classed as places of work, and the UK Government is set to get tougher on enforcing Health and Safety Legislation. At the same time, fleets that take action on safety and security are not only making the roads safer for everyone but are also making significant cost savings for themselves, through reduced time off work and rig down time as a result of accidents.

The law says that a vehicle is a place of work. Employers and managers have a ‘duty of care’ under the Health and Safety at Work Act to ensure the safety of everyone working on their behalf, including drivers.

In the past, the Health and Safety Executive focused its attention on incidents involving Heavy Goods Vehicles or road workers. It has now launched a drive to bring the management of all work related vehicle safety risks formally within employers’ health and safety duties.

Drivers must comply with the Road Traffic Act and the Highway Code. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, they must also co-operate with measures their employer takes to comply with health and safety requirements. For this reason many companies have instigated screening programmes and health checks for their drivers in an effort to benefit all parties concerned.