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Duty of care in fleet management is the legal responsibility an employer has for the safety of people driving on company business – including employees using their own vehicles for work trips. If a driver has an accident while working, the employer can be held liable if they did not take reasonable steps to manage road risk.
In the UK, duty of care obligations come from the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Road Transport directive, and sector-specific rules for HGV operators. Fleet telematics supports duty of care compliance by creating an auditable record of safety management:
- Driver behaviour monitoring – evidence that the employer tracked and responded to risky driving
- Vehicle maintenance records – mileage-triggered service alerts show proactive maintenance
- Working hours – trip data supports compliance with driver hour regulations
- Incident investigation – crash detection data provides objective evidence for post-incident review
- Video evidence – protects drivers from false claims and protects employers from unwarranted liability