National urges small businesses to think rental

National Car Rental, the UK vehicle rental organisation is urging small businesses to put measures in place to support the safety of their employees when driving for business. This follows a survey by National which found that 37% of small businesses offering cash instead of a car to their employees do not conduct regular checks on private cars used for business.

Frank Reynolds, small business specialist at National Car Rental comments, “A vehicle used for business is regarded as a place of work and is therefore subject to all the same health and safety legislation as the workplace. This is a major challenge for small businesses who often don’t have the time or resource to devote to managing staff transportation needs. This may inadvertently put their employees at greater risk of an accident when travelling on business.

“To give these businesses a helping hand we have produced a list of top tips for small businesses to help them manage road transport for staff. Key to this is using vehicle rental. Whether cars or vans, with vehicle rental small businesses can rest assured that staff are driving safe and reliable vehicles exactly suited for the journey or task in hand and covered by roadside assistance. It also means no long-term financial commitment, giving small businesses the flexibility to use vehicles just for the time they are needed.”

National Car Rental’s Top Tips for Small Businesses

Read the HSE Booklet ‘Driving at Work’ hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg382.pdf

Start with the basics:

Create a written road safety policy that all employees are made familiar with

Produce a safe driving culture throughout the company

Monitor all drivers’ working hours including travelling times.

Check an employee’s driving licence regularly

Assess the driving capabilities of new staff

Encourage staff to use a rental vehicle rather than their own for business trips

Use daily rental or mini-leasing to supplement your fleet at times of high demand

How National can help

National offers an online management system that means that small and medium sized businesses can monitor mileage and ensure employees never drive further or longer than they should

National’s rental cars are fully maintained, covered by roadside assistance and less than 6-months old

National’s reservation system offers the flexibility to set agreed car groups for employees to rent, ensuring that any travel policies are adhered to

National has 24 hour roadside assistance to ensure employees can rely on National in times of distress or difficulty

Businesses can use National’s insurance for all vehicle rentals or they can use their own insurance if they wish