One of the most basic checks which any company operating a fleet of company vehicles must do is to look at their drivers’ licences. Failing to ensure that employees possess valid driving licences can lead to serious repercussions. Regular driving licence checks should be an integral part of any company’s health and safety policy, particularly where employees drive as part of their job.
Running Driving Licence Checks
Driving Licence checks should firstly check whether the employee is entitled to drive the type of vehicle assigned to them and whether they hold a current driving licence. Merely asking drivers whether they have a clean driving licence is not enough, as a recent RAC Insurance survey revealed that a significant portion of motorists with penalty points fail to disclose this information to their employers. This could invalidate their insurance if they are driving fleet cars or vans for work, potentially landing their employers with a huge bill if they are involved in an accident.
In the worst-case scenario, if a driver ends up in court, charged for some crime involved with their driving, the employer will be expected to be able to demonstrate that they did everything possible to check that their drivers were properly qualified and had the right licence to drive the vehicle they were given.
With the availability of online driving licence checking systems, there is no excuse for companies not to have policies in place to check up on their drivers’ entitlements.
Here are eight key facts every manager and company driver should know about licence checking:
- Permitting staff to drive a vehicle without a valid licence is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988.
- Having a system for running regular licence checks can serve as a legal defence against fines and prosecution under health and safety laws if your driver is caught doing something stupid or illegal behind the wheel.
- Managers can carry out one-off checks on drivers using the DVLA’s Share Your Driving Licence system, which is common practice when a new employee starts with the organisation.
- Compliance with data protection laws, such as obtaining informed consent, is essential – you can’t check up on someone’s driving record without them giving you permission first.
- Regular checks are essential, with frequencies varying based on risk factors. Usually, annual checks are recommended.
- Licence checks can only be conducted online, simplifying the process for both drivers and fleet managers.
- Licence check data might help identify high-risk drivers, and managers can use this information to allocate tasks accordingly.
- Outsourcing licence checking offers advantages such as specialist knowledge and expertise, management and reporting tools, and legal compliance, but it also comes with costs and data protection considerations.
Ensuring that employees have valid driving licences is not just a legal obligation but also a critical aspect of safeguarding their safety and that of others on the road. Putting together a process for checking licences and keeping records of checks is something which all responsible organisations should be doing.
