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It’s an offense under the Road Traffic Act of 1988 to operate a vehicle on a public highway with a defect that could affect how roadworthy it is.

As a fleet manager or operator, how confident are you that all of your vehicles are roadworthy?

Do all of your vehicles have a pre-use inspection check daily?

Do you get a report sent directly into your fleet management software from your drivers after they carry out daily checks?

If not, you will benefit from FleetCheck Driver.

FleetCheck Driver is our fully integrated, customisable vehicle walkaround defect checking app that integrates with our FleetCheck Fleet Management Software.

Carrying Out Pre-Use Checks

In the HGV sector, it’s a requirement that on a daily basis drivers check their vehicles with a pre-use check.

A pre-use check is a simple and effective way to identify potentially dangerous defects and other issues with a vehicle before it becomes a problem.

There are numerous benefits to carrying out pre-use checks; namely, you’re able to potentially prevent road accidents, it’s going to save you money in the long run, and most importantly, your vehicles are on the road lawfully.

Penalties for Defective Vehicles

If a driver is stopped on the road and the vehicle they’re driving is found to have a defect, that driver could be issued with a graduated fixed penalty.

Graduated fixed penalties mean the number of points they’re issued can vary depending on the circumstances or the severity of the offence.

Record Keeping

How is your record-keeping? When it comes to fleet compliance, it’s not what you say you’re doing, it’s what you can prove you’re doing.

Having evidence that drivers have performed a pre-use check of their vehicle, reported any defects, and having the processes in place to document any maintenance carried out on the vehicle is essential.

Check MOT Reports

Another way to identify defects is to check your MOTs and address any advisories flagged by the MOT tester.

If you don’t do something about an advisory and it leads to bigger issues down the line, this is what’s known as an ‘On Notice’.

Failure to act on an advisory in a reasonable time frame can result in what’s known as ‘guilty knowledge’ and carry harsher penalties.

Defect management might not be the most exciting topic, but it’s essential that as an organisation you have an effective process to ensure:

  • Drivers are carrying out pre-use checks
  • Defects are notified
  • Defects re rectified
  • You have the records to back it up

If you would like any more information or wish to have a conversation about how to best carry out driver pre-use checks, please feel free to get in touch with a member of our team by using this form or calling our office on 01666 575900.

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