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Is your fleet roadworthy?
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If you have a truck that needs to be repainted, or a car with a heater that
does not always work, your employees might be reluctant to use them,
but this has nothing to do with being roadworthy. The most basic test of
whether a vehicle should be on the road is enshrined in Section 47 of the
Road Traffic Act, 1988.
− If you use on a road at any time, or cause or permit to be used,
a motor vehicle which needs an MOT pass and does not have one,
you are ... guilty of an offence.
You need to be sure, at all times, that any vehicle being driven on your
business is legally compliant, even if you do not own the vehicle. If you
have a mixed fleet, remember that cars, trucks and most other vehicles
need to be tested annually once they are three years old, but the
requirement is stricter for some vehicle classes. Taxis, private passenger
vehicles and ambulances, for example, all need to be MOT tested after
just their first year.
You should also be aware that the scope of an MOT Test only extends to
the meeting of road safety and environmental standards. It does not check
the vehicle’s general mechanical condition. It is only a test, not a service,
and does not include any necessary remedial work.
Commercial vehicles are subject to a wide variety of statutes, covering
everything from lighting to loading, but the MOT certificate is a fundamental
requirement for every class of vehicle driven for your business.
Action point:
Conduct a fleet safety audit to determine when each
vehicle was last serviced, when its next service
should be performed, what problems have previously
needed rectifying and what other scheduled works
are due, such as timing belt changes. Implement a
regime that prevents any vehicle being driven for your
business without up-to-date servicing being certified
and 24/7 verifiable.
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Best practice in fleet management - Issue 02
