More than a quarter of companies operating vehicle fleets are unaware that the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act came into effect this April, a study has revealed.
Firms may be prosecuted for Corporate Manslaughter if it can be proved that negligence in their duty of care obligations caused a death.
Twenty-eight per cent of companies questioned in the survey, commissioned by vehicle tracking specialist Navman Wireless, admitted to being ignorant of the new law.
However the survey also revealed that of those aware of the legislation, more than half are planning to make adjustments to the way they handle their fleet.
"The Act should prompt the call to action needed for companies to introduce systems enabling them to manage road risk," said Tony Neill, Vice President Europe, Middle East and Africa, Navman Wireless.
"But it is a concern that a significant number of companies are unfamiliar with the potential consequences of failings by senior managers. A corporate manslaughter conviction can lead to fines of up to 10 per cent of a business's annual turnover.
"In spite of this, it is still encouraging that a considerable number of businesses will be taking steps to improve their duty of care procedures. Vehicle tracking and fleet management systems, the more advanced of which can compel drivers to carry out vehicle checks, currently offer one of the most effective solutions."
Of those companies set to improve their procedures, more than half (51 per cent) said that they would enhance the quality and/or frequency of safety checks on their vehicles.
Forty-four per cent said they would reschedule work timetables to ensure staff are not overburdened or working too many hours, while 42 per cent said that they would now enforce the Working Time Directive more carefully.
More than a quarter of the companies surveyed (27 per cent) said that they currently operate a vehicle tracking system.
"The latest systems offer a wealth of driver and vehicle information at employers' finger tips," added Tony.
"Duty of care functions of the Navman Wireless system, for example, include full Working Time Directive compliance facilities, a Duty of Care Modue, Driver ID technology, stationary vehicle alerts, integrated panic buttons, speed analysis reports and much, much more."