Kwik-Fit Fleet Counters Winter Dangers with Safety Checks

Road casualties peak in the winter months, and a causal factor in many instances is that at least one of the vehicles involved is not maintained to the best possible level. For this reason Kwik-Fit Fleet is once again offering free safety checks. Company car and van drivers can call in at any of Kwik-Fit’s 670 High Street centres for the free five-point safety check, which covers:

Tyre check – pressures, tread depth and general condition (including spare)

Battery check – using electronic test equipment

Exhaust check – condition and fitment including hangers and brackets

Tracking check – visual check to determine if the tyres show related wear

Glass/wipers check – condition of vehicle glass and wipers

Road casualty figures from the Department for Transport reveal that last November 22,134 people were killed or injured on Britain’s roads – more than in any other month. In addition, across the winter months of November, December, January, February and March last year, almost 1,200 people were killed – 40 per cent of the total number of deaths on the UK’s roads in 2007.

“The importance of companies managing occupational road risk has continued to increase in recent years,” said Mike Wise, head of Kwik-Fit Fleet. “The onset of winter invariably means driving conditions worsen with visibility often poor and roads frequently icy. It is therefore vital that vehicles are in tip-top condition. A failure by drivers to ensure their vehicle’s are in a first-class condition and maintained in accordance with manufacturer recommendations could be the difference between life and death.

“Kwik-Fit Fleet is a health and safety-focused company and in recent years has launched a range of initiatives to help businesses improve their fleet safety performance including mobile tyre checks, brake checks and glass repair,” Wise added. “We would encourage all company car and van drivers to have their vehicles checked out by one of our trained technicians.”

Kwik-Fit says no appointment is required for the safety check; drivers can simply call in at any centre nationwide.