All businesses have a responsibility to deliver duty of care. But fleets have additional challenges. Here’s what they need to do…

What is Duty of Care?

Duty of care refers to a business’ responsibilities towards its own employees and members of the public; especially as far as safety is concerned. Crucially, an employer is “vicariously liable” for the acts of his employees.

An employer is liable for the injuries or death negligently caused by one employee to another, or to a member of the public injured by an employee. Where an employee drives recklessly or breaks speed limits it is the drivers’ responsibility. However, where speeding was due to inappropriate scheduling of appointments by the employer, liability could be joint, i.e. they could both be prosecuted. Employer fines can be unlimited.

Vehicle Maintenance

For fleets, properly maintaining vehicles is a key element in demonstrating duty of care. Well-maintained and newer vehicles are, almost always, safer – for drivers, their passengers and other road-users. You should be scheduling in regular service work for your vehicles and conducting your own checks as a matter of routine. This will ensure that issues are quickly identified and addressed before they can cause problems later down the line.

Driver Welfare and Training

Your fleet should have a clearly defined driver policy. This will make the company’s standards clear, and what drivers need to do to reach those standards. It’ll include things like how often breaks should be taken, how to drive efficiently and safely and what to do in the event of an accident or collision. Moreover, you should offer your drivers the opportunity for further training – thereby pursuing continuous improvement. 

Protecting the Public 

Your responsibilities aren’t only ‘internal’ within the business. How your business’ operations affect the general public also fall under your duty of care obligations.

Given that you’re operating a fleet, most of these considerations will concern your drivers. It’s your responsibility to ensure that they have a valid driving licence and insurance. You’ll need to keep track of these details, as points may be accumulated or insurance policies may expire. Random spot checks for alcohol and drugs, whilst seemingly invasive, are also useful in demonstrating duty of care, too. It’s also important to ensure that your drivers feel as though their voices are heard and that, should they need support, they are confident that they’ll receive it. 

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With over 16,000 approved garages, a 24/7 support service and a host of cost-saving offers, we can keep your fleet moving and operational. Call one of our professional Service Advisers on 0121 521 3500 for more details.