Reduce Accident Risks – Improve Commercial Driver Vetting in 2017
According to Aviva, a third of all accidents relating to motor vehicles involve new drivers within the first 12 months of being employed. So one of the most important tasks for any firm, especially commercial haulage operators taking on new drivers, is vetting them rigorously and putting them through a robust induction programme.
As an employer, you have a duty of care to make sure your management procedures and processes are designed to reduce road accident risks. This means that the person in your firm carrying out any driver vetting must have been trained or must already have the relevant expertise and know-how to be able to competently vet commercial drivers or any staff who will be driving at work.
What the vetting process should include:
- Personal Details
- Ordinary Driving Licence Details
- LGV/LCV Licence Details
- Additional Qualifications/Experience
- Specific details of Endorsements/Convictions, including suspensions
- Specific details on any traffic accidents during the last 5 years
- Driving Experience
- Specific Medical Conditions
- References from previous employers/organisations
- Driver’s Declaration and Signature
- A Highway Code test
If you’re employing drivers from EU/EEA Member States, you should also
- Assess the driver’s working knowledge of the English language
- Assess the driver’s knowledge of UK traffic law: This should include the Highway Code, driving hours and tachographs
- Assess medical condition: Either a full medical or a separate medical questionnaire – many templates are provided by insurers, so ask for one. The applicant’s eyesight should be tested to ensure that it meets the minimum requirement for driving in the UK.
- Assess previous driving experience: Asking the applicant what type of driving they have previously done, where they have driven and for how long
- Complete a driving risk assessment: This should be on the type of vehicle the applicant will be required to drive and must be completed in all cases.
The person vetting commercial drivers must also be aware of what’s required to drive and keep driving certain categories of vehicles. More details are here at https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-categories. Where relevant copies of all original licences/documents should be taken and kept on file for recording/audit purposes.
At Andrew Bourne we spend time getting to know how your haulage operation works. Our aim is to get a thorough understanding of your driver operation and to support you to improve driver vetting. We work hard for you, to create a bespoke insurance solution that’s responsive to your business and supports you to manage your risks more effectively. If you’d like to speak to us, call David Crowther on 0116 272 0770.