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16 Winter 2022 P ost-pandemic business travel is on the rise, according to a new report, and employers need to be sure their grey eet drivers and vehicles are t for purpose, whether this is for speci c business purposes, to travel to and from business-related meetings, or for attending events and training which is outside the normal travel to and from the workplace. A grey eet vehicle is one owned and driven by an employee for business purposes. e employee is reimbursed on a pence per mile basis for using their private vehicle on business journeys. Vehicles used by employees under cash allowance schemes are considered grey eet too. According to a recent report, almost half (43%) of employers have seen an increase in the number of employees using private vehicles for business travel post-pandemic. e survey by Alphabet, an international provider of eet solutions, services and support, 51% of UK eet managers surveyed said that they still do not consider themselves as having a good understanding of duty of care responsibilities for so-called ‘grey eet’ drivers. Almost a third of eet managers went on to say that their business does not have a risk management policy in place that covers all employees, regardless of whether they are driving company or private vehicles. Alphabet’s General Manager for customer accounts said: “If a business requires its employees to use vehicles for work, it’s critical eet managers, drivers, and the wider organisation, understand and mitigate the risks associated with occupational driving.” He said it’s imperative that driver risk is correctly managed to ensure duty of care and legal obligations are met, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Road Tra c Act 1988, and the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. But he went on to add: “Our research shows there are some vital gaps when it comes to understanding and meeting duty of care responsibilities when employees are driving on company business. Far too many employers are still unaware that they retain responsibility for their employees’ safety and conduct when they’re travelling for work purposes, even if they’re using their own car. “ is is particularly concerning given the increase in private vehicle use that 43% of eets managers have observed since the pandemic, as these vehicles are often older, not as regularly maintained, and much easier to overlook than company vehicles. “It’s clear eet managers need to prioritise risk management, whether that’s seeking external advice or bringing in an experienced partner tomanage the full process for them. “A robust and proactive driver risk strategy will not only help businesses better understand and manage potential risk, it can also reduce eet running costs and downtime.” New ndings lead to duty of care alert for grey eets. IS YOUR FLEET FIT FOR PURPOSE? One-in-15 grey eet cars (6.4%) was found to have illegal tyres while just 1.6% of the 6,000- plus company cars checked had illegal tyres.