Small businesses run risk of knowledge gap

With the new Corporate Manslaughter act due to become law next year, the risks associated with running company cars is not fully understood by small businesses.

The Corporate Manslaughter Act means small companies can be prosecuted for health and safety failures that result in death.

Yet under 50% of those managers responsible for small business fleets were fully aware of the risks of running company cars.

There was an even lower level of the full risks of allowing staff to run their own vehicles on company business.

The findings come from a report – Business Car Perceptions – written by Professor Peter Cooke.

“If someone was given a £10,000 tool that would help them perform their job function, then they would be given training,” said Professor Cooke. “So it should be with company cars.”

However, Professor Cooke said he believed businesses were now turning to daily rental companies for vehicles, rather than allowing employees to use their own cars.