Hidden danger for company car drivers

Defective or badly worn tyres could be the Achilles’ heel of many corporate fleets and could result in prosecution under the new Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007.

The legislation, which came into force at the beginning of April, stipulates that employers have a Duty of Care to ensure the safety of employees driving for work.

This means that businesses will be responsible for the maintenance of their own fleet and those of the thousands of private vehicles being used every day by employees to travel whilst on company business.

It will be necessary for companies to show an audit trail indicating that regular vehicle condition checks have been carried out and documented.

Research from TyreSafe, formerly the Tyre Industry Council, found that 12% of cars and vans on the roads in the UK have at least one defective tyre, and a further 12% have a tyre below 2mm.

A spokesman for TyreSafe said that tyres are often forgotten about and therefore the new legislation is a wake-up call for all those who do not take enough care for the condition of their tyres.

The spokesman said that there is someone watching over drivers and TyreSafe hopes that the rate of defective tyres will be significantly reduced as people realise the huge importance that tyres play in vehicle safety.