Managing grey fleet risks

Industry estimates suggest that there are 14 million grey fleet vehicles in the UK, which creates major duty of care implications for employers.

Grey fleet vehicles are privately owned cars or vans that employees may drive for business journeys.

Employers may favour this route, because it avoids substantial investment in fleet vehicles and the company only pays for the business mileage covered.

However, when grey fleet vehicles are used for business journeys, they become the employer’s responsibility, as companies have a duty of care to keep employees and other road users safe.

This means vehicles must be roadworthy and have adequate insurance for business use.

Road safety organisations have warned that many employers apply less stringent regulations to grey fleet vehicles, despite the risks being the same as their own fleet vehicles.

Costs and risks can be controlled and reduced by implementing a grey fleet policy, covering drivers and vehicles.

This includes measuring grey fleet use and restricting the type of vehicles that can be used, for example by only allowing cars under five years old to be used on business.

There should also be regular checks on drivers to ensure they have a valid, clean licence and that their vehicle is fully insured and fit-for-purpose.

Typically, anything employers do for staff using company-owned or leased vehicles should be done for grey fleet drivers, such as driving assessments or eyesight checks.

However, if a company is looking for a pay-on-use solution to its business transport needs, then a cost-effective alternative is vehicle hire.

There are several significant advantages to opting for rental as an alternative to grey fleet vehicles.

Rental vehicles tend to be the newest models featuring the latest safety equipment. They are also regularly maintained to the highest manufacturer standards.

In addition, rental vehicles are not limited to a single employee. One vehicle can be shared throughout a business, which reduces paperwork and costs.

As part of its commitment to providing safety-first vehicle hire, Reflex Vehicle Hire has committed to enhanced levels of equipment in its rental cars, which includes autonomous emergency braking and parking sensors, where available.

Our vehicles are maintained to the highest standards and we provide mobile servicing to reduce vehicle off-road time.

Furthermore, rental companies can provide detailed reporting to provide a clear overview of vehicle demand and costs, including hosting data online.

Reflex Vehicle Hire provides free data access to every customer through the Reflex Online Management System (ROMS).

For further details of the Reflex Vehicle Hire fleet and services, visit our Vehicle Hire section, or contact one of our sales team.

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