Cause or Permit – An Employer’s Responsibilities

A driver of a vehicle on public roads must hold a valid licence for that category of vehicle as :

· Driving a vehicle without a valid licence is an offence.

· Many insurance policies will be invalidated in such situations.

· A person or company who has control over a driver will be committing an offence if they cause or permit a driver to use a company vehicle while unlicensed. Both the driver and employer could be prosecuted.

Consequently employers need to establish a means of accurate periodic licence checking that will cover both new and existing employees. Periodic checking of licences guards against the possibility that a driver may have been disqualified for a private driving offence and could alert management to other factors such as medical conditions or age restrictions.