Research suggests businesses need to educate their grey fleet drivers about regular SMR checks, according to Venson Automotive Solutions.
The company said it recently conducted a survey which revealed that more than a fifth of drivers admitted to neglecting safety-critical vehicle checks such as tyre tread depth and oil levels, instead relying on their annual MOT or service to pick up problems.
Drivers were asked how often they carried out 12 different maintenance checks. The least common was found to be battery health, which 27% of drivers said they checked personally.
Venson operations director Lee O’Neill said: “Driver education, whether by a fleet management provider or in-house, is fundamental to effective grey fleet management.
“Our survey indicates that while many of the simpler SMR tasks like checking washer levels and number pate visibility are being done regularly by the drivers themselves, tasks like inspecting tyres can easily be neglected.
“By educating drivers on how to carry out all of the routine vehicle inspections, drivers can pick up on small problems before they become big issues. Employers who combine this education and have defined policies in place to ensure advance bookings for services and MOT by their grey fleet drivers can really make a huge impact on driver risk management and road safety.”
