ACFO launches driving licence checking guide

14 June 2010

The first in a series of ‘how to’ best practice guides designed to influence public and private sector fleet policies and procedures has been launched by ACFO, the UK’s premier organisation for fleet decision-makers.

Former Transport Minister Dr Stephen Ladyman has championed the first guide, ‘ACFO Best Practice Guide to Employee Driving Document Checking’, after he uncovered significant weaknesses in driving licence checking within government departments.

The guide outlines

• Driving licence checking procedure and best practice frequency
• The key information employers should look for on UK licences and those held by foreign nationals to ensure validity
• Who should carry out the checks

The guide concludes: “Driving licence checking is a vital component in compiling an adequate risk assessment of each employee and, indeed, the whole organisation in terms of at-work driving.

ACFO chairman Julie Jenner said, “We believe the guide provides extremely valuable guidance not only for ACFO members to check that they are following our best practice recommendations, but also for the fleet community at large to adopt.”

Dr Ladyman, who was a Transport Minister from 2005 to 2007 said,
“In my view government departments need to set an example to all employers and from my questions it is clear that some of them fall well short of an acceptable standard. I want to see all of them agree to adopt the ACFO guidance and lead the way by taking driving safety seriously.”

All ACFO members will receive the guide and it will be used as part of a member recruitment drive. After a period, it will also be available to the wider fleet community via the ACFO website.