Company car drivers not making adequate safety checks

18 November 2009

A worryingly high number of company car drivers may be driving illegally and risking serious injury after a survey by TyreSafe, a partner to the Driving for Better Business campaign.

It found that an alarming 25% of company car drivers had never checked the depth of their tyre tread and a further 41% had not checked them within the last six months.

Both companies and employees have responsibility for tyre safety on fleet vehicles and those not making the necessary checks face fines and other penalties.

“As part of their health and safety obligations, companies should make sure that drivers understand their own individual responsibility towards tyre checks,” said Stuart Jackson, TyreSafe chairman.

“Company car drivers typically cover around 20,000 miles per year, almost double that of private motorists so it is particularly important that they pay attention to their tyres. Our 20p lifesaver is a really quick and simple way of seeing if your tyres have enough tread to be safe and legal. By performing these checks just once a month, we believe the number of work-related accidents and cost to UK businesses can be dramatically reduced.”

Current UK law states that tread on car tyres must be a minimum of 1.6mm across the central three quarters of the tread, around its entire circumference. Drivers found in breach of this law face a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points for each illegal tyre.

Company car drivers accumulating enough points may have their licences withdrawn, and therefore face the prospect of losing their job as well.