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10 Top Tips to keep your SME fleet legally compliant

Tax and Legislation News, , , , , ,

IF YOU run a small fleet of 5 or more vehicles you have a legal obligation to ensure you assess the road risk of your drivers and that your company cars comply with safety and documentation requirements.

Many small business owners understand these responsibilities and ensure that their company cars and drivers operate under the rules of Corporate Governance and meet HSE requirements. 

It’s crucial that you can demonstrate that the vehicle is safe and the driver is trained

10 Top Tips of what you need to do split up into the requirements for drivers and vehicles. 

Vehicles

1.  Keep full records and vehicle documentation where they are both safe and accessible. Appoint someone sensible to be responsible for them. For each vehicle you should have the V5 (log book), insurance documentation, MOT (if applicable), service records and maintenance reports.

2.  Keep a dedicated ‘Daily Log’ for each vehicle, where regular checks can be recorded. These must show that every vehicle is safe, and roadworthy. This becomes the vehicle’s ‘audit trail’.
These daily checks are done by the vehicle’s driver and/or the business car manager, but whoever does it, keep contemporaneous notes on what was found and what action was taken to correct any faults or damage.

3.  Don’t neglect those company cars that are used only occasionally, and don’t neglect employees’ own cars that are used on company business – the so-called ‘grey fleet’. If the vehicle is being used on company business, you are responsible for ensuring that it is legal and roadworthy. It even applies to contractors’ vehicles.

4.  Resolve problems straight away, and if you find something dangerous or even just potentially dangerous the vehicle must not be used.

Drivers

5.  Your responsibilities cover any driver working on your company business. So whether the driver is a full or part-time employee, an agency driver or someone working for a sub-contractor, you must ensure that they are fit to drive.

6.  You must have a ‘Driving at Work’ policy for your business drivers.
Keep it up to date as legal obligations and requirements change.
Give a copy to every driver; they should sign to confirm they’ve received it, and again to confirm they’ve read and understood it, and will comply with its requirements.
Your Driving at Work policy should cover such issues as mobile phone use, smoking, eating, driving, drug use, speeding and other driving offences. It should describe what the driver should do in the event of an accident. Consider the risks your drivers may encounter if, for example, you expect them to make long journeys or deliveries, and cover these points too.

7.  Always do a full driver’s license check, not just a simple visual check. The information needs to come from the DVLA to ensure that you achieve compliance and are 100% sure the driver is legal to drive.
License checking is a vital part of the risk management process. It should be repeated at least annually, and more frequently for drivers with points on their licenses. I always recommend that companies check drivers’ licenses before they are employed – and that includes agency and part-time workers.

 8.  You have a legal responsibility to assess each and every driver for road risk. This can be done online but it’s imperative to remember that if any driver shows up as ‘high risk‘, you must follow up the assessment with training.
Again, much of this can be done online unless the driver’s risk assessment demands in car training. Online training is cost effective, particularly if large groups of drivers are involved, it ensures that you can demonstrate that you have met your Duty of Care, and it creates an audit trail for your records.

9.  If your risk assessment finds a driver who is at high risk, failure to act can mean that you may be held culpable if the driver is subsequently found to be at fault in an accident.
Since you knew there was a risk, it was your responsibility to act and failure to do so puts you in a worse position than if you’d been ignorant of the risk.
So make sure that you satisfy yourself that you have access to remedial training before you begin your risk assessments.

10.  It is  also recommended  that you ask that your drivers to take annual health and eyesight checks which can catch problems early and help to ensure drivers are physically fit to drive and comply with the minimum eyesight requirement.  

It seems exhaustive but it’s worth implementing a plan of action and a driving at work policy.

Comply and stay legal or, chance your arm and hope that your drivers aren’t involved in an accident where the consequences leave your and the company exposed to prosecution through criminal or civil proceedings.

We hope you will find the above information usefull as we  feel we should always try to keep  all our CVSL customers  well informed about any new  legal requirments.

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September delivery on the Audi TT

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We have fantastic offers on the Audi TT, with four great specifications CVSL will deliver the Audi experience with superb specification TT models to choose from

Check out Top Gear's verdict on the TT “….the Soft-top TT is no soft touch. This is a genuinely well engineered car with real substance.”

So don't delay make sure you call YOUR team at CVSL to take advantage of these great Audi offers for September delivery……

Audi TT Roadster Sport 1.8 TFSI 160PS 6 Speed
Ibis White, Black Hood, Standard Interior
£254.99 per month

Audi TT Roadster S Line 1.8 TFSI 160PS 6 Speed
Ibis White, Black Hood, QZ Standard Interior
£274.99 per month

Audi TT Roadster Sport 2.0 TDI Quattro 170PS 6 Speed
Brilliant Black, Black Hood, JN Standard Interior
£284.99 per month

Audi TT Roadster Sport 2.0 TDI Quattro 170PS 6 Speed
Brilliant Black, Black Hood, QZ Standard Interior

Great deals on the Audi range from CVSL

£309.99 per month

All deals are 6 + 35 based on 5,000 Miles Per Year and are plus VAT.

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10 ways to cut fuel consumption and improve safety

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Everyone is always looking for ways to cut there fuel costs so we have put together  a few little tips which  can help cut your fuel consumption and also increase your road safety ! 

1.  Think economy – drivers need to be less aggressive in the way they gain and lose speed – be smoother with the car’s controls and take more time to change gear and, taken over a period of time, to use a higher gear than at present.

Acceleration uses fuel and the more aggressively you accelerate, the more fuel is used.  It’s easy to understand in principle but important to remember when actually driving.  Allow more time to accelerate up to any given speed.

And it needn’t cost time! So often drivers accelerate hard only to have to brake hard seconds later because of some obstruction they haven’t seen or haven’t considered. It’s not because they’re in a legitimate hurry, it’s because this is their driving style. That brings us to:

2.  Braking:  the fuel saving equation also includes braking.  Losing speed by braking means that all the gas you used to accelerate is wasted. So its easy to save fuel by ensuring you gain speed gradually and ease off the throttle when you see something ahead rather than just brake automatically.  Use less braking than usual – by releasing the throttle earlier, over a longer period of time, so the need for braking is reduced.

And when braking is actually required (because your observation and planning have recognised that) then brake progressively and smoothly.

3.  Opening up your separation / following distances will allow you to use throttle sense much more often, rather than constantly braking every time you need to lose speed.  Don’t be a ‘comfort braker’ and touch the brakes every time something changes ahead – you need to predict when you need to lose speed so it’s calculated and planned.Paying more attention to when you change up, and when you change down, will stop over-revving or ‘labouring’, and both cost fuel

4.  Pay attention to your gear changes. Neither over-rev the engine by changing up too late nor allow the engine to labour by changing down too late.  Keep engine revs lower when driving away from cold and allow the engine time to warm up.

Use ‘block changes’ when you can, say when driving down a slight gradient – by missing out a gear. For example change from 1st to 3rd, or from 2nd to 4th. This is even more relevant now that cars increasingly have six gears.

Changing down through the gears is out-dated and unnecessary – use your ‘brakes to slow and gears to go’! Use the advanced driving rule of ‘One Brake and One Gear’ for each hazard.  

5. Reduce throttle when driving down hill. Often drivers unwittingly increase speed going down hills. Instead, use less throttle and allow the car’s own momentum to allow it to maintain speed and lessen the need to brake too.

6.  Reduce weight; take things you don’t need out of the car as the less weight you’re carrying the less fuel you’ll use. 

7.  Check tyre pressures regularly as under-inflated tyres use more fuel. Always check tyre pressures when the tyres are cold.

8.  Minimise the  use of air-conditioning and keep windows closed to reduce drag.

9.  Observation and planning – this is really important. Spotting hazards earlier creates more time to deal with them so you’ll be both safer and more economical in the way you drive. Start by looking much further ahead and keep your eyes moving, in effect like a radar scanning for potential and actual road hazards. 

Advanced observation and advanced planning will ensure you drive more safely, be more in control of any potential or actual outcomes, and save fuel at the same time.  Overall what drivers need to do is create ‘more time and more space’. 

Remember that a crash only happens when a driver runs out of time or space!  

10.  Increase separation distances – use less braking – develop throttle sense – gain and lose speed progressively – keep to posted speed limits as nobody expects you to break road traffic laws when driving on business.

Even if you just take on board a couple of these suggestions you may be suprised by how much it saves you in fuel and you will definatly be a safer driver.

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Special Offer – Kia Picanto 5 door Hatchback 1.0

Special Offers

Welcome to today’s special offer blog from CVSL. Bringing you the best car leasing and contract hire deals you will find online.

Today’s featured offer is the stylish Picanto Hatchback – a stunning, compact hatchback offering from Kia.

See below for a promotional video which displays the coolness, quality handling and practicality of the spacious five-door city car.

The Kia Picanto 5 door Hatchback 1.0 is available for just £98.14 per month (excluding VAT) from CVSL on a four year car leasing deal. That is less than £100 per month for a brand new car!

Call CVSL today on 0800 085 4256 and find out more about their great Kia contract hire offers.

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A Great Achievement By Our Sales Manager Stuart

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Congratulations to CVSL 's Sales Manager  Stuart and his mate Dave who  completed  there charity bike ride over the Trans Pennine Trail (Southport to Hornsea – 220miles)  in an amazing 26½ hours with no sleep and in aid of  the Alzheimer’s Society. Here is Stuarts account of how it went !

''We started off in fine form, full of beans (a bagel, porridge and a bottle of Lucozade)! We were met by my wife, my little boy and a bag of fresh egg sandwiches at the 1st stop (not sure which one I was happier to see) and from there it slowly slipped downhill as in all honesty, mother nature was not as kind to us as you lot!!! To say we were drenched for the vast majority of the ride is a massive understatement and it wasn’t until approx 2am when a man at a level crossing (don’t ask and yes, TWO AM) told me ‘you can only get so wet’, that I finally came to terms with it!!

We didn’t have enough dry clothes as we weren’t expecting such miserable weather and so found ourselves changing back into less wet clothes before heading off once more, we also got lost in a sleepy village around 3am and wasted numerous miles cycling around soaking wet, freezing cold (im trying to paint a picture) with no idea, trying to find a little blue sign to send us the right way. This is where you guys came into it. Though you probably weren’t awake it was the weight of your generosity (and our support vehicle not knowing where we were) that spurred us on, I hate to say it but we did think of quitting (you may gasp) as we were that low, but thought how would I break the news to you generous souls especially when you’ve given to such a great charity!! We dug deep however and made our way through to the support vehicle….another 65 miles awaited!!!  

I could sit here any type until my fingers bleed but I don’t feel it would convey to you how deep we had to dig on this, diversions, crane sights, falling asleep at the handle bars, an angry Yorkie (dog not chocolate bar…though I did have a couple of Biscuit and Raisin) and one fall (yes it was me but I’m fine thanks)

Well done Stuart, We will keep you posted when Stuart decides on his next challenge  !!

 

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