Woes on wheels
- 25% of British SMEs that own one or more company vehicles have failed an MOT;
- 40% of bosses admit to driving a company vehicle with a known fault;
- SMEs cite bad driving and poor maintenance as reasons for repair.
COMPANY vehicles failing MOTs are landing UK SMEs with a shocking £350M annual repairs bill, a new study reveals.
A quarter of SMEs with company-owned vehicles have failed an MOT, according to new research from Lex Autolease, the vehicle leasing specialist.
The survey of 500 UK SMEs with company-owned cars and vans reveals that – in addition to the cost of failed MOTs – unforeseen trips to the garage and downtime cost them an average of £4,300 and 1.4 lost working days each in the last year.
Despite the risks, 40% bosses admit they regularly drive a vehicle that has a fault. In addition, 51% surveyed said their most recent trip to the garage was the result of their own poor maintenance and bad driving, with accidents and pot-holes counting for 17% and 6% of incidents respectively.
Simon Barter, head of SME Direct at Lex Autolease, said: “From making deliveries to driving to sales pitches and meetings, vehicles are essential to the successful day-to-day operations of many UK small businesses. It’s therefore surprising to see that so many fail to protect themselves from avoidable costs.
“Our findings prove that vehicle maintenance isn’t considered a priority by many. By taking simple steps to ensure vehicles are routinely checked and drivers are able to spot the signs of disrepair, businesses could save themselves unnecessary downtime and expense.”
