And those companies that already have a policy should re-mind their drivers of the risks of drink-driving and of the rising number of morning-after convictions.
Every year 90,000 motorists are convicted of driving with excess alcohol in their blood.
Fleet managers are advised that just getting drivers to agree to a company policy on not drinking and driving does not ensure compliance.
According to Avoidd Training and Education, it’s all very well saying ‘don’t drink-drive’ – but drivers need to also know when they will be alcohol-free the next day to be safe to drive.
Extended licensing hours have pushed drinking later into the night and early hours which, together with the inevitable increase in consumption, has increased morning-after convictions.
As a result, morning-after offences continue to rise – now almost one-in-five convictions are on the way to or at work – often in a firm’s vehicle.
In addition, recent changes in law and procedures have allowed police to carry out field impairment tests to determine whether there is evidence of impairment through drug use.
The roll-out of field impairment testing will also impact on drink- driving, as police turn their new expertise towards drink-drivers.
With appropriate training, these tests can be carried out by fleet managers and key HR staff, enabling them to check employees suspected of being impaired in the workplace.
Having established impairment, a company drugs and alcohol policy will determine what happens next.
Login to comment
Comments
No comments have been made yet.