Business car managers have been warned to ensure there’s a duty of care paper trail that covers their staff when driving demonstrator cars supplied by manufacturers or other fleet organisations.
“The fleet manager needs to see documentary evidence that shows the vehicle to have been properly looked after,” said Colin Bruder, boss of Network Automotive, which works with a number of manufacturers to provide demo vehicles.
“The onus is now being placed on fleet managers to ensure that any vehicle provided for driving at work meets the required standards.”
Despite the fact that most demonstration models are fairly new, Bruder is worried that some companies aren’t taking enough care with maintenance.
“Some demonstrator fleets are very well managed from a safety point of view, with detailed checks and audits carried out between each vehicle booking,” said Bruder. “However, while others undertake safety checks that have been deemed adequate in the past, these may not be as complete as the duty of care guidelines now specify.”
Bruder warns that a proper audit trail is needed to avoid demonstration vehicles becoming the “weak link in otherwise comprehensive fleet and safety policies”.
