Implementation of best practice safety procedures starts with “a compliance journey”, according to Malcolm Maycock, managing director of the Licence Bureau and chairman of the Association for Driving Licence Verification.

Maycock told delegates at ACFO’s spring national seminar ‘A Van for all Reasons’: “That starts with knowing your drivers and what they drive.”

Fleets should adopt the Health and Safety Executive guidance of “plan, do, check and act” in respect of driver licence checking, he said.

But, he added there could be no let-up in the licence checking process explaining: “It is continuous and not just at the point at which a person is employed.”

Highlighting that as drivers got older their health typically deteriorated - and notably eyesight - he said: “Most drivers do not realise their eyesight deteriorates as they age so fleets should make sure they have the right assessments in place.”

Legislation says that employees’ driving licences should be validated “regularly” and Maycock says that should be interpreted as six monthly as “an absolute minimum”, but more frequently for drivers that already have a number of points.

He said: “Fleets should have knowledge of their drivers and the categories of vehicles they are entitled to drive. Human error causes 95% of crashes, not vehicle failure.”