The dangers of not checking driving licences

Some alarming statistics: Only one in 10 motorists (13 per cent) would tell their employer if they received penalty points whilst driving. Meanwhile, a whopping 25 per cent of motorists with penalty points on their licence did not inform any organisation when they received them.

These figures should be deeply unsettling for any business managing a fleet of drivers.

Regularly verifying drivers’ licences is a crucial yet often overlooked component of health and safety policies for any company with routine driving activities.

It’s easy to assume this is just a box-ticking exercise - but the truth is quite different.

Employers who fail to routinely and thoroughly check their employees’ licences may be held accountable for the actions of their staff if they allow them to drive on business without a valid licence.

The most severe consequence? Up to £20m in fines for corporate manslaughter convictions. Scary stuff.

In 2023, the need for organisations to prove their commitment to a robust and rigorous health and safety approach has never been more critical, and licence checking should be the foundation of any all-encompassing duty of care policy.

How often should you be checking licences?

Recommendations from the DVSA suggest complete licence checks should be carried out every three months at a minimum, although this should be more frequent for drivers with points on their licence.

If you’ve got a large fleet of commercial vehicles, this isn’t always an easy task. Get in touch with us here at CheckedSafe for a sleek, innovative and cost-effective way to conduct regular and remote licence checks.