Small businesses need to wake up to driver tiredness

Nearly nine out of ten companies with small fleets aren’t doing enough to address the issue of driver tiredness, says Christophe Desplace, Network’s director

RESEARCH among fleet brokers has found the Michael Eyres case has done little to raise awareness of driver tiredness among small fleets.

Michael Eyres was paralysed following an accident after he momentarily fell asleep at the wheel. He subsequently sued his employer for asking him to drive without enough rest.

The case, with far-reaching ramifications for fleets of all sizes, had been expected to act as a warning on road safety.

Yet 88% of small fleet leasing brokers say their customers have never asked how best to tackle driver tiredness.

Brokers are traditionally one of the key resources for advice and best practice among small business fleets. But these figures show that their expertise is being drastically underused by small businesses.

Small fleets, especially those with only one or two vehicles, can see duty of care issues – such as driver tiredness – pushed to one side.