Insurance companies are offering to upgrade their customers’ motor insurance to cover them for business use free of charge.

Employees who drive their own vehicle on company business must have the appropriate business-use insurance cover.

And their employers have a duty of care to ensure that they have full insurance before they allow them to drive for work.

Now online comparisons show that insurance companies, such as Swiftcover and Halifax Insurance, provide business cover at no additional cost, although this depends on driver and vehicle circumstance. Where companies do charge, the added expense is minimal, say insurers.

The grey fleet scandal hit the headlines last month (Fleet News, October 25), when it was discovered that the majority of companies are failing in their legal obligations to millions of drivers who drive on company business in their own vehicles.

Now it has been discovered that the majority of employers –72% – are failing to ensure their employees have the appropriate level of business insurance, according to a study by Gocompare.com.