Moral responsibilities
Moral responsibility for driving for work is a shared duty between the employer and employee. Both parties must take reasonable care to ensure safety for all road users. While responsibilities differ slightly, the main areas for employers include:
Employer's moral responsibility
- Risk management: Under health and safety law, employers must conduct risk assessments for any employee whose role involves driving. The assessment should evaluate the driver (competence, fitness, fatigue), the vehicle (road worthiness, maintenance), and the journey (route planning, environmental conditions) to minimise risks.
- Policy and training: A comprehensive driving-for-work policy should outline expectations regarding driver conduct, driver fitness, fatigue management, vehicle maintenance, mobile phone use, drink and drug drive policy and reporting incidents, covering both company and personal vehicles. Employers should also consider providing training to staff to reinforce safe practices
- Driver checks: It is the employer's moral and legal duty to ensure that employees who drive for work are competent, adequately trained, and fit to drive. This includes having a system for regular license checks (ensuring they still have an entitlement to drive), understanding the rules around foreign driving licence holders and communicating safety expectations.
- Vehicle checks: For company-provided vehicles, employers must ensure they are properly maintained and equipped with safety tools. For employees who use personal vehicles (Grey fleet), employers have the same duty of care to ensure the vehicle is fit for purpose and has adequate insurance for business use.
- Compliance: Adhere to legal driving hours to prevent fatigue and collisions.
- Duty of care: Uphold their legal and moral duty to protect the health and safety of their employees and other road users.
Employee's moral responsibility
- Follow policies: Cooperate with the employer and follow all safety policies and procedures.
- Report issues: Inform the employer of any health conditions or personal circumstances that could affect driving ability, such as medication that may impair performance
- Drive safely: Never drive while fatigued, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or while using a mobile phone.
- Vehicle maintenance: If using a personal vehicle for work, it is your duty to keep it properly serviced, roadworthy, taxed, and insured for business use. You must also perform regular safety checks on lights, tyres, and brakes.
- Cooperate with training: Participate in any health and safety training or instruction provided by the employer.