Posted: Wednesday, 25 February 2015
Fleet managers already know how difficult it can be to manage a large number of vehicles along with the drivers who operate them. Even companies with just one or two vehicles encounter plenty of headaches just trying to make sure everything remains legal. However, things could get a lot worse if new legislation being considered by the European Union eventually becomes law. It is yet another reason to have a licence-checking strategy in place.
The proposed legislation seeks to 'harmonise penalty points across Europe', according to Aaron Brown of The Express. Doing so could put UK drivers at risk of severe penalties or, in the worst cases, loss of a driving licence. To understand the seriousness of the potential problem, one need only consider the prospect of speeding.
Drivers caught here by speed cameras do not receive any points on their licences. Being pulled over for speeding in one of the other European Union countries can result in penalty points and fines. If the EU system were applied in in the UK, drivers here would receive the same number of penalty points for exceeding the speed limit.
Brown reports that the Conservatives plan to fight the EU on this, despite the fact that the legislation has support among most of the other EU countries. The fight is seen as a way to also put forth the question of whether or not the UK really wants to maintain EU membership. There is speculation that many Conservatives are ready to cut ties.
As negotiations on the new legislation continue, UK officials also fear how the EU may access data pertaining to drivers in each of the member countries. Officials have maintained that they will not allow access to UK data by anyone other than domestic agencies tasked with maintaining driver records and enforcing the law. They will not agree to any legislation that makes data available to other EU countries.
As a business owner with company vehicles, we hope you will pay attention to the pending regulations. If the EU adopts the legislation, it could be effective as early as May (2015). This would mean extra burdens for you in terms of making sure all of your company drivers have valid licences. It is yet another reason to have a plan in place for licence checking.
Fleet Licence Check has been cleared by the DVLA to provide licence-checking services to our customers. We perform roughly 20,000 licence checks annually, saving our clients the time and frustration of having to deal with the Government. We can provide one off services for your company or create a comprehensive package that also includes claims management.
The health of your business relies on the operation of your fleet. Do not leave things to chance by not paying attention to your drivers and their licences. Regular licence checks ensure your drivers remain in compliance, for the benefit of your company and the customers you serve.
Source: The Express