How important are Grey Fleet basic safety checks?

More than half of Grey Fleet drivers fail to carry out basic safety and maintenance checks before starting a business travel journey according to the latest industry research.

Grey Fleet Management is often an overlooked element of driver and fleet management for organisations of any size, a fact that has been further evidenced by a recently published Enterprise Rent-A-Car research project. The research results found that a staggering 54% of Grey Fleet drivers are not routinely performing basic vehicle safety inspections, running the risk of potentially using a vehicle not legally safe to drive.

Throughout the UK, it is a legal requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act for any Grey Fleet vehicle to be verified roadworthy, legal and for an organisation to be able to evidence that their Grey Fleet employee holds a valid driving licence, business insurance and vehicle MOT.

Any employer has a duty of care to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of all employees while at work and not put others at risk during any work-related driving activities. When a privately owned or leased vehicle is driven on company business, often in return for a cash allowance or fuel expense, these vehicles are considered part of the organisation’s Grey Fleet, becoming the organisation’s responsibility.

Whilst organisations may view the chances of any investigation and prosecution relatively low, the potential consequences to a business, in terms of large fines and reputational damage, are very serious.

Grey Fleet Drivers account for an average of 12 billion miles on UK roads every year, with only 12% of Grey Fleet drivers confirming that they have signed their companies policy, undergone a licence check, or completed a driver risk assessment within the last 12-months.

Of the 1,000 UK drivers recently included in Enterprise Rent-A-Car research project, more than one in four Grey Fleet drivers admitted having never opened the bonnet for any type of oil or water level inspection. In fact, one in five drivers report that they currently have a warning light showing on their vehicle dashboard, but do not plan to have it checked by a qualified mechanic.

Andy Wheeler, TTC Group’s Head of Technical Delivery (s pictured) shared his thoughts and experience of working with organisations to help improve their Grey Fleet management:
“Are grey fleets driving into a pile up? Highly likely! Moving to a grey fleet is an attractive solution for many businesses right now but are businesses geared up for managing the risk? It is a huge concern that over 50% of Grey Fleet drivers are skipping routine safety checks, with a lack of tyre maintenance being the biggest concern.”

“In my experience, many businesses are burying their head in the sand or don’t believe it is their responsibility to ensure they have a duty of care for their staff driving their personal car on business. This is where TTC Group’s consultancy services play a major role in ensuring organisations are best prepared to meet their HSE Duty of Care responsibilities.”

“With modern digital technology such as the TTC Continuum driver and fleet risk management platform, providing practical, reliable and fully affordable solutions, ensuring drivers and businesses are compliant with road traffic law and Health & Safety Act regulations is not as difficult as it used to be.”

TTC Group has developed the TTC Continuum platform to simplify and streamline many of the tasks associated with managing an organisation’s driver and fleet risk, including the management of Grey Fleet.

TTC Continuum is a technology driver solution which provides drivers with the ability to record, store and validate their vehicle details, giving Fleet Managers the confidence to manage compliance and monitor Grey Fleet documentation.

We have also developed a Mobile App which is widely available to our clients for across all common Smartphone platforms for Grey Fleet drivers to perform vehicle safety inspection checks without the reliance upon paperwork, which rarely makes it’s way back to Fleet Managers. By utilising existing smartphone technology, all vehicle inspection data is centrally managed, with any vehicle defects being immediately notified, ready for correction measures to be scheduled.

TTC Group’s Mobile App can also be implemented as a software telematics solution, reporting real-time driving events to update the driver’s Risk Profile Score, as well as track journey mileage for automated expense claim processes.

Find out more how TTC Group are developing new technologies to help organisations meet their Duty of Care and manage driver risk by visiting thettcgroup.com

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Research Data Source: https://fleetworld.co.uk/half-of-grey-fleet-drivers-skipping-basic-safety-checks/

Grey Fleet Statistics Source: Alphabet Managing grey fleet travel