Why do I need to check my drivers’ licences?

The legal minimum requirement in the UK is for the driver of a vehicle to hold a full and valid driving licence for that vehicle category. If this driver is an employee and driving on company time, for business purposes, you as the employer has a duty of care to ensure that the employee acts within the law and this means having a robust procedure and audit trail when it comes to driver licence checks. This duty of care extends not only to your full and part time staff, but temporary drivers and contractors that you may use and covers all vehicles driven including heavy goods vehicles, vans and cars (even if the car is their own, but driven for business purposes, on company time).

What could happen if these checks are not carried out correctly?
There are a range of legislative acts that cover the need for checking your drivers’ licences which include The Health and Safety at Work Act, the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, the Corporate Manslaughter Act and the Road Traffic Act 1988. Failing to comply with these laws can lead to fines and in the worst cases the loss of your operator licence if relevant and even imprisonment.