A growing number of both grey fleet and company car drivers are “oblivious” to their roadworthiness responsibilities, putting fleet duty of care compliance at risk.  

Total Motion director Simon Hill

A new study by fleet management company Total Motion found many drivers falling under these categories are failing their obligations.  

Its analysis of the 203,137 new checks completed on company cars / vans and grey fleet vehicles in 2021 showed a staggering 35,420 (17%) were found to have tyres that were either illegal, damaged or were outside the manufacturer’s guidelines.  

The survey found that 13,659 (7%) had an incomplete service, maintenance and repair history, whilst around 1% of vehicles either had a fault with one or more of the lights/bulbs, or brakes which did not meet the manufacturer’s guidelines or recognised standards.  

It’s a marked difference from the company’s extensive survey in 2007, which was based on its Vehicle Monitoring Service and showed that, on the whole, company car and grey fleet drivers were starting to take more notice about their responsibilities with regards to vehicle maintenance.   

Total Motion director Simon Hill explained: “Both the 2007 and 2021 surveys looked at key maintenance aspects of a vehicle, including tyres, lights, brakes, MOT and service, maintenance and repair history.  

“It is a legal requirement to ensure all cars and vans are roadworthy, but the results show many drivers are failing in this task, and if they are involved in an accident, it could affect any claims.”  

And Hill added that the research also showed a stark difference between the failure rate of company cars and grey fleet, with company cars being better maintained overall, making them an all-round safer option.  

He attributed this in part to the rise of employees taking advantage of opt-out cash allowances and salary sacrifice schemes and said that more needs to be done to educate and alert all drivers on their obligations – both for company cars and grey fleet vehicles.  

“The latest survey highlights the importance of regular vehicle monitoring and vehicle checks. It is the company’s responsibility to ensure that drivers check their cars on a regular basis.  

“An employer has the same responsibilities for making sure the vehicle is safe and roadworthy, regardless of ownership.  

“This comprehensive survey shows that grey fleet needs to be taken seriously by employers, as it is a risk to them if not. Not only that, but drivers also need to be doing vehicle checks at least weekly to ensure their vehicle is safe.”