Five out of ten UK businesses employing more than 1,000 staff that have introduced telematics to their fleet have done so in order to reduce the risk.

ALD Automotive say that the results of its latest YouGov survey highlights the positive role telematics can play in helping organisations maintain a robust ‘duty of care’ policy and supports its ongoing commitment to telematics with its ProFleet2 solution already fitted to more than 20,000 vehicles.

With health and safety legislation being strengthened in recent years, directors have a responsibility to ensure all vehicles, including those private vehicles used for business purposes, are both roadworthy and correctly insured.

It is crucial that every company has a comprehensive and auditable ‘driving for work’ policy implemented, covering every element of their fleet operation, no matter how few vehicles are used and who owns them.

Every employee driving for business should be required to sign up to this policy, thereby reducing the real risk of themselves and their business being prosecuted.

Allen, managing director of ALD Automotive UK, said: “This survey is very encouraging from a safety point of view. It illustrates that, with the high profile given to corporate manslaughter legislation and occupational road risk, businesses are taking the necessary steps to better protect themselves.

“It is therefore essential that we continue to work closely with our customers and offer them the best advice and solutions, such as ProFleet2, to help protect themselves fully from the associated risks.

“With greater emphasis being placed on the responsibility of employers to ensure the safety of their drivers and other road users, we need to ensure all of our customers have an effective occupational road risk policy and a robust duty of care policy in place.”