A free duty of care service has been launched by Alphabet, which includes a free driver licence check and online driver risk assessment.

Every vehicle supplied by the multi-marque fleet funding company, which manages some 43,000 vehicles in the UK, whether through contract hire, contract purchase or Eco schemes will be eligible for the new service.

Each vehicle contract now includes the free driver licence check for one licence-holder, which includes DVLA verification.

Customers will also receive a free online driver risk assessment for one driver, developed using research carried out by Cranfield University.

Licence checking is something every fleet manager should be doing to comply with duty of care legislation.

According to Alphabet research, 3% of drivers checked will have a previous ban, one in 300 drivers will have a revoked or expired licence and one in 500 drivers will be currently banned.

Alphabet’s online driver risk assessment is designed to assess risk factors related to driving at-work.

“Driver safety is of paramount concern for fleet operators and, with this unique product, Alphabet is the only company supplying these two essential components of risk management free with every vehicle delivered,” said Paul Hollick, general manager sales development.

“We want to promote the benefits of driver licence checking and driver risk assessments throughout the UK fleet sector.

"Alphabet’s new product allows employers to include these important elements in their risk management strategy at no charge.

"Of course, companies that already use either or both services will still be able to take advantage of our offer when ordering cars from Alphabet.”