Almost half of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) allow their employees to use private vehicles for business use, according to latest research.

The findings show a black hole in duty of care, a higher carbon footprint and increased costs, according to Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which completed the research.

Rob Ingram, UK business development manager at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, said: “Looking after the safety of employees is something British business is good at and SMEs do take the issue seriously. When it comes to safety outside the office, there’s often a blind spot.

“SMEs are not doing enough to protect their employees on the road. The passing of the Corporate Manslaughter Bill has helped to re-focus attention, so it’s important the SME community starts to address the issue properly.

“Sending employees out on the road can be dangerous and costly at the best of times, so the least employers can do is ensure their people are in well maintained, modern cars.”

The group claims businesses allowing employees to use private vehicles for business use have no way of checking how the vehicles are serviced or maintained which can result in an unsafe, inefficient, high-polluting fleet.