Businesses who use gig economy workers and contractors may be slow to react to updated work-related road risk guidance announced this week, experts claim.

However, the broadly welcomes the new Health & Safety Executive measures that state those businesses now have the same responsibility for their drivers and vehicles as any other part of the grey fleet.

AFP chair Paul Hollick said the new guidance means they are on the same footing as for their own company cars and vans.

“This is potentially impactful,” he said. “Increasing numbers of vehicles have been operated for businesses outside of usual fleet bounds in recent years, especially as we have seen massive growth in all kinds of home delivery, ranging from internet retail giants to fast food. All of these drivers and vehicles now clearly fall under the same area of legal responsibility as any other company car or van.”

Hollick says the big question is the degree to which these businesses will move to comply, suggesting that a local sandwich delivery firm is unlikely to adopt all the measures.

He adds: “At the other end of the scale, there may also be resistance from people such as large internet retailers, who might pursue a similar third party argument to that used by Uber in terms of employee rights.”

Peter Golding, managing director at fleet software and management specialist FleetCheck, welcomed the fact that businesses that have operated on the basis that they have no or limited liability to third parties of this kind have had their legal position made clear.

“They need to ensure that any fleet activity that is carried out on the behalf of their business meets usual standards,” he added.

However, Golding said that there would be a question mark over how quickly these responsibilities would be met, given the track record of many businesses.

“These new responsibilities appear to be similar, or effectively the same, as those covering grey fleets, and that is an area where quite large numbers of employers fail to enforce the same standards as for their own company cars and vans.

“We don’t expect to see any sudden rush to meet the guidance, therefore. This is something that will probably take a number of years to percolate through the fleet sector.”

The new guidance is available on the Health and safety Executive website.