Why check an employee’s driver’s licence?
Checking your employees’ drivers’ licences is essential for various reasons.
Legal Compliance
It is an offence under the Road Traffic Act of 1988 for an employee to drive a vehicle without a valid driving licence.
It is also illegal for employers to allow their employees to drive vehicles if they do not have a valid licence.
Safety
Regular driver’s licence checks are a vital part of keeping the place of work safe and legal.
Individual fines may be imposed for failing to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974.
Duty of Care
All employers have a duty of care to ensure that any employee who has the duty to drive on the company’s behalf is legally licenced and has the correct entitlement to drive.
Data Protection
When undertaking driving licence checks, drivers must have given permission to consent to the fact that their licences are being checked.
The data is required to be retained securely and not tampered with.
Confidence
Driving licence checks for employees can provide you with confidence that they have the necessary licence to undertake the driving tasks required by their job, as well as help you ensure they are safe to do so.
You can check someone’s driver’s licence data online, including the vehicles they are permitted to drive and any penalty points or disqualifications.
The software can be used to check an employee’s driver’s licence 24 hours a day.
What frequency should we check our employees’ driving licences?
The frequency with which you check your employees’ drivers licences varies depending on their driving records and the risk they present.
Here are some guidelines:
Safe2Drive suggests a scaled response for licence check frequency that is strictly point-based.
- 0-4 points: Normal risk profile: check bi-annually
- 5-7 points: Medium risk; check quarterly
- 8+ points: Maximum risk; check monthly
The specific frequency will be determined by your company’s policy and the individual needs of your drivers. It’s also worth noting that depending solely on employees to divulge changes to their licences might be risky, as many may fail to notify their employer of changes, especially if acquiring points puts aspects of their job at danger. Therefore, regular licence checks are required.