It reveals that 63% of businesses are potentially exposing themselves to an unnecessary level of risk associated with private vehicles being used for business purposes. Also, 20% of those surveyed had no knowledge of whether the private vehicles are insured for driving on business purposes.

The concern is based on the fact that almost two thirds of fleets have no policy on the age restriction of private vehicles being driven on business, commonly knows as the ‘grey fleet’, and no minimum safety specification either. This all but increases the liability associated with occupational road risk compared with – newer company owned cars.

There are an estimated five million employees using their own cars on business and with corporate manslaughter legislation now firmly established, companies are being urged to review their HR and fleet policies, despite cost control remaining the biggest challenge facing UK business.

Keith Allen (Inset), managing director of ALD Automotive (UK) commented: ‘This survey shows that, despite the high profile given to corporate manslaughter legislation the grey fleet is still a big issue in the UK. Formal guidelines need to be incorporated into fleet policy whether business journeys are carried out in a company owned vehicle or a private vehicle.’