Are you aware that …
- Driving is the most dangerous work activity that most people do. Research indicates that over 100 people are killed and seriously injured every week in crashes involving someone who was driving, riding or otherwise using the road for work.
- It is also an offence under road traffic law to ‘cause or permit’ a person to drive a vehicle that is in a dangerous condition or without a valid licence or at least third party insurance. Therefore, employers need to have procedures in place to ensure that all vehicles (irrespective of who owns them) that are used for work conform to road traffic law, are safe and properly maintained, and are fit for purpose.
- Employers owe the same duty of care under health and safety law to staff who drive their own vehicles for work (often called ‘grey fleet’) as they do to employees who drive company owned, leased, or hired vehicles. This is relatively simple for company owned or leased vehicles, but can be more complicated when staff use their own vehicles for work.
- Drivers caught using handheld mobile phones in Britain are to face "much tougher penalties", with fines and points doubling and under new rules expected to come in the early part of 2017, drivers will get six points on their licence and face a £200 fine and newly qualified drivers could be made to retake their test the first time they are caught?
These new rules, which will apply to England, Scotland and Wales, could also see more experienced drivers going to court if they offend twice, and facing possible fines of up to £1,000 and at least a six-month driving ban.
Police are cracking down on this issue and have instructed officers around the force to ‘’enforce every single offence they see’’.
Aspire believe businesses need to take this matter extremely seriously after the recent publicity surrounding the lorry driver who was sentenced to ten years in prison for causing the death of a family.
Businesses need to act now to ensure they have an appropriate policy in place and to ensure staff fully understand the implications and likely consequences of not adhering to their policies and using mobile phones whilst driving.
If you would like us to support you with drafting a 'Mobile Phone and Driver Policy' or would like some further guidance or advice about this, get in touch with us on 0121 445 6178.