Vehicle Checks and Defect Reporting That Drivers Actually Use

Employers are expected to make sure vehicles used for work are safe. In practice that depends on two things happening reliably: checks being carried out properly, and defects being reported and put right.

The daily check

A walkaround check covers the items that change day to day and can be seen without tools — typically tyres and pressures, lights and indicators, mirrors and glass, washers and wipers, fluid levels, warning lights, load security and bodywork damage.

The recurring problem is not the content of the check but its reality. A check completed in an app in twenty seconds without the driver leaving the cab produces a record and no assurance. Observing the check as part of a driver assessment is one way to see which is happening.

Why defect reporting breaks down

• Reporting takes longer than living with the fault.
• Previous reports produced no visible action, so drivers stopped bothering.
• Reporting a defect takes the vehicle off the road and the driver misses targets.
• It is unclear who to tell, or the route differs by site.
• Drivers are concerned that reporting will be treated as their fault.

Closing the loop

• One reporting route that works from the roadside, on any site.
• Acknowledgement to the driver, so reporting visibly leads somewhere.
• A defined position on what makes a vehicle unroadworthy and must stop use.
• A record from report through to rectification, and review of recurring defects.
• No adverse consequence for reporting in good faith.

Vehicle suitability

Alongside condition, it is worth periodically reviewing whether vehicles still suit the work. Roles change; a vehicle specified for one pattern of work may be poorly matched to the access, loads or mileage it now sees.

Sources

• HSE — Make sure vehicles used for work are safe
• HSE — Employers: driving and riding safely for work
• GOV.UK — Check the MOT history of a vehicle