Fleet managers have been urged to make employees that drive on business aware of the doubling of penalties for being caught using a hand-held phone while on the road.
The call came from the AA following this month’s increase in the fixed penalty for a hand-held mobile phone offence from £100 and three points to £200 and six points.
The doubling of penalties came into effect as new research for the AA showed that drivers considered texting while driving (71%) to be more than twice as risky as drink-driving (29%).
And with the majority of fleet and SME motorists not driving as their primary job, it was vital that fleet managers made their staff aware of the changes to legislation immediately, said the motoring organisation.
Stuart Thomas, head of fleet and SME services at the AA, said: “With motoring legislation changing regularly, it can be difficult for motorists to keep up to date with changes. Because of this, confusion can arise, which is why fleet managers must alert their team to the updates without delay.”
Mr Thomas continued: “Penalties incurred by drivers will not just impact them personally, but can have huge ramifications for businesses. This can include issues such as lack of availability of insurance providers and increasing premiums, through to downtime from staff attending compulsory training, possible court attendance and even loss of revenue.”
The most effective way of reducing the risk to businesses was through educating staff, said the AA.