Cost Cutting Can Lead To Employees Driving Dangerous Cars

Tuesday, 24. November 2009

It would seem that some of the carbon friendly effects of the recession are better management of family vehicles and in many cases a reduction in the number of vehicles being driven by the family. Added to which many employees are opting for cash for cars in place of the old company car scheme, effectively seen as increasing their income, as they now use the family car which they had anyway and was previously driven by the spouse, for occasional company business. In the meantime the company saves money by not taking on a new car for the employee resulting in a net drop in CO2 emissions. However, as companies and employees, new to cash for car schemes, look to improve their cash flow, few actually understand their legal responsibilities resulting in fears that illegal cars are being used for company business. Information gathered by various bodies shows that employees are taking less care of their cars which exposes employers added to which employers are not carrying out simple checks to ensure that the driver is properly insured, has a current driving licence, his car has an MOT if required, the tyres are legal and the car is being regularly serviced. Surprisingly in research carried out by Fleet News into the 30 County Councils that are responsible for 140,000 grey fleet drivers, as they are known, not one had a policy for checking MOT certificates. If you are an employer who allows staff to use their own vehicles for work, even only occasionally, by not carrying out basic document and safety checks, you leave yourself open to prosecution under Health and Safety legislation and corporate manslaughter charges. You don’t want the environmental improvement and reduced cost to result in you being hauled off to pokey! By Graham Hill