Fleet Driver Training - Most Commonly Asked Questions

How exactly does the law affect me?

The Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974 makes it a legal requirement for any UK business that expects its employees to drive on business to ensure they have been trained appropriately and the company is legally required to maintain a strict audit trail of all fleet driver training provided. In the event of a fatal accident involving a member of staff, the business will be expected to provide details of the training provided together with other details such as confirmation that the vehicle has been checked to ensure it was roadworthy and insured for business use. The Corporate Manslaughter Bill and Corporate Homicide Act, 2007 means that it is now the police who carry out these investigations and the potential penalties can be draconian, up to and including huge fines, negative publicity and even prison sentences. Isn't it sufficient that my employees have passed a standard driving test?

No. The car is now classed as an extension of the workplace and so all the health and safety rules that apply to a factory or office also apply to the car, regardless of whether it is a company car, pool car, hire car, or private car used for occasional business trips. Employees are often required to drive thousands of miles a year with long hours, at unsociable times, on motorways and to and from events - a far from complete list of things that are not covered in the standard driving test. An employer MUST train their drivers to operate the vehicle safely and to recognise factors that could affect their concentration and the safety of both themselves and other road users.

How do I Make Sure my business complies?

You will need to find a fleet driver training company that can provide a full turnkey compliance solution - one that fully complies with all UK Health and Safety at work legislation. One of the critical elements is to make sure that you are able to demonstrate a complete audit trail that carefully logs all the training given to an individual driver. In the event of an accident, you will be expected by the police to be able to quickly prove that you have made all the required checks regarding licencing, insurance and vehicle suitability, as well as proving that you provided appropriate training in a timely manner.

How long does the training take?

Most fleet driver training programmes involve a one day 'out of office' training course so there is minimum disruption to your business. If you are running a business with a large geographic coverage then you should look for a fleet driver training company that operates from more than one location. Ultimate Car Control, based in the UK, for instance, operates from 10 locations in the UK but also provides training across Europe and further afield when required.

Are there any other benefits of fleet driver training?

It's not just the compliance - the financial benefits of fleet driver training are huge. Business often realise massive reductions in accident rates, sometimes by as much as half, and this often means equally significant drops in insurance premiums. In addition the lower incident rate means that maintenance costs, repair costs and lost work days through injury are all reduced as well. Choosing a good course can actually become self financing.

How to I get staff buy-in?

You need to to select your driver training programme very carefully. What your employees hate is sitting in a car all day with a stranger criticizing their driving technique. The best training also includes dynamic awareness and are usually held off the road in a secure location, minimising the distractions that training on the public road brings, where they learn proper car control.


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Ultimate Car Control UK provide the ONLY fully legally compliant fleet driver training programme for business under UK health and safety law. It has been quoted as the most innovative, educational, exciting and complete driver training programme available anywhere in the world. http://www.fleet-driver-training.com