RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
November 4, 1999
COMPANIES MUST KEEP TIGHTER CHECKS ON LICENCES
Many companies may be risking prosecution as a result of not making regular checks on employees’ driving licences, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents warned today.
New research for the AA Foundation for Road Safety Research suggests there could be as many as 800,000 unlicensed drivers on the roads.
Bob Smalley, RoSPA General Manager Driver Services, said: "I am convinced that many companies do not make regular checks on their drivers’ licences.
"As a result, they do not know if someone has picked up penalty points or even been banned from driving.
"If there are 800,000 unlicensed drivers on the roads, the odds are that some of them are driving for work.
"Licences should be checked at least once a year and on no account should photocopies be accepted because of the risk of alteration."
Bob Smalley said companies could be prosecuted for employing an unlicensed person to drive their vehicles and insurance would also be invalidated, leading to the threat of further penalties.
"Presumably some drivers take the risk because they believe they will not get caught, but it will be their employers who face the courts as well if something goes wrong. It is in a company’s own interests to check licences regularly," he said.
Checks should be part of a company’s policy on the management of occupational road risk, which would also look at things like driver training, vehicle selection, safe routes and realistic journey schedules.
RoSPA provides guidance and training on the Management of Occupational Road Risk.
