Kwik-Fit Increases Mobile Fleet to Meet Growing Demand

Workplace safety is increasingly a high profile issue, and this is no less the case for professional drivers and those using company or fleet owned vehicles. Kwik-Fit Fleet reports carrying out more than 220,000 vehicle inspections during 2007, a total markedly up from the previous year’s 188,000. To cope with a growing demand to ensure at-work driver safety, Kwik-Fit Fleet is preparing to add an additional 30 units to its mobile fleet this year.

It is likely that the April 6 introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act will place added pressure upon businesses to comply with workplace health and safety legislation. Thus this year the company expects even stronger demand for its mobile service, and anticipates its mobile technicians to undertake more than 250,000 tyre safety checks in company car parks or at a driver’s location of choice.

Initial tyre checks result in about 25 per cent of vehicles inspected requiring attention; most commonly tyres need replacement as they don’t meet legal standards. Extrapolated across the UK’s three million-strong company car and approximately one million van parc this statistic means that up to 800,000 vehicles could be running on at least one unsafe tyre, a situation that leaves organisations open to potential prosecution in the event of a crash. Furthermore, the current fine for driving on illegal tyres is £2,500 per tyre and three points per tyre on a driving licence.

The NTDA recently reported results of a survey conducted by fleet consultants Total Motion of almost 6,000 company cars and privately owned vehicles used on business. The survey found that 70 per cent of vehicles had tyre-related problems. NTDA director Richard Edy said at the time: “This is yet another damning indictment on the lack of interest in tyres, which are such a safety critical component of all vehicles.”

Mike Wise, head of Kwik-Fit Fleet, commented: “Tyres are the only part of a vehicle that are in contact with the road so it is essential that they are in tip-top condition. Ensuring tyres meet the legal requirements is a vital part of any corporate risk strategy.

“In the event of a crash involving a vehicle being driven on business, tyre condition will be one of the issues looked at by investigating police officers. A failure to ensure checks are being carried out and to have a record of those checks could leave companies wide open to court action. ”

The 30 new Mercedes-Benz sprinter vans join a 200 strong mobile fleet. Technicians that drive the mobile vans undertake tyre repair and replacement work and safety checks on company-owned vehicles and carry out tyre-related work at dealers and vehicle repairers.