Fleets are failing to protect company drivers with travel policies for severe weather conditions, new research suggests.

Fleet managers should implement clear guidelines regarding expectations of drivers in adverse weather conditions

With much of the UK facing adverse weather at the moment, Europcar Mobility Group UK asked people who drive as part of their job what travel policies their employer has in place when it comes to driving in adverse weather conditions.

Only a quarter (27%) said they must adhere to their company travel policy when driving in adverse weather conditions.

In contrast, the majority said suitability of driving in certain weather conditions was not included in company travel policies at all; 23% said their employer had no expectations or procedures in place.

The analysis also found 20% of those surveyed said that no weather conditions had been set out at all in which employees should not drive for work.

And only 17% require evidence that employees have made an informed assessment of road conditions in extreme weather conditions.

“Without clear guidelines on when it is safe to drive or not in poor weather conditions, people driving for work could be exposed to unnecessary risk,” said Evelyn Tourish, customer experience manager – operations, Europcar Mobility Group UK.

“The attitude that ‘It won’t happen to me,’ or ‘I’m a good driver so I’ll be fine’ can be extremely dangerous if drivers convince themselves their journey is important enough to risk driving in poor conditions.”

It’s now urging fleet managers to implement clear guidelines regarding expectations of drivers and to remind employees to carefully consider the weather conditions before embarking on a journey for work.

Europcar also highlighted that regular vehicle checks, including tyre pressure, screen wash levels and lights, are also essential – something as simple as an under-inflated tyre can have serious consequences for steering and increases the risk of aquaplaning.

Yet its research found that vehicle checks were not mandatory:

• Only 23% require employees to check tyre pressure
• 22% must check screen wash level
• 21% must check vehicle lights

As Evelyn Tourish added, the significance of vehicle checks is heightened where employees are using their own vehicles, the so-called grey fleet, for business journeys.

“Employers have a duty of care to protect their employees when they are driving for work purposes, and clear guidelines are essential to meet this requirement and protect employees as well as the business. Our recent Grey Fleet Report highlighted the continued heavy reliance of businesses on employees own vehicles – 81% admitted to relying on grey fleet for business travel. It’s critical, therefore, that the right policies are in place to ensure these vehicles are checked regularly, especially if likely to be used in more challenging driving conditions.”