Posted By Peter Rees Ashley, I am having similar conversations at my workplace, and was interested to see your reference to Road Traffic Act requirements for checks etc. What requirements are you referring to?

Posted By David Scott Ashley, You've answered your own question really. Any Company car, van, lorry etc is work equipment under PUWER and therefore maintenance and inspection is a requirement as is training. As an aside, our Company solicitors have been in discussion with the HSE regarding 'cash for car' options and the HSE are adamant that these are also work equipment and require maintenance, inspection and training also. Food for thought!

Posted By sylvia The Highway Code contains summary lists of driver check items to comply with the basic CUR (Construction & Use Regs). See pages 89-91. All of the Code is required knowledge for the Theory test. In conjunction with the vehicle handbook this should be sufficient for most people / managers to devise a simple vehicle-specific checklist. It should also include checking the first aid / emergency kit if provided too, but that would be a company policy thing. I am assuming a current copy of HCode is also supplied (?). I agree that knowing the theory and actual practical ability aren't the same - many can fall at the first hurdle ie. opening the bonnet!! Any ADI (Approved Driving Instructor) worth their salt will take anyone through the process of such checks, but they do expect to be paid, and most student drivers simply want as little as possible to get through their driving test, and you're not going to be tested on it! More advanced driver training programmes should include it - it can be made part of the spec. So to comply with the PUWER part, I would suggest a checklist per vehicle, and a physical demo by a competent person. If it's the person's own vehicle, they should demo to the observer. Crashes due to mechanical failure (alone) are a low proportion - driver error and the environment (road, weather) being far more significant.