68% of fleets may be risking goods in transit cover
Haulage
6th May 2010
Some 68 per cent of fleets may be risking their insurance by allowing drivers to use hands-free mobile phones at the wheel.
According to a recent Fleet News poll, more than three in five have not issued a ban on doing so.
This is despite research from TRL claiming last year that hands-free calling is likelier than 80 mg of alcohol in the blood to lengthen reaction times on the road.
If authorities deem a motorist to be driving without due care and attention - an offence punishable by at least three to nine penalty points for personal drivers - goods in transit cover could be compromised.
And various companies - while not stopping drivers from using them outright - have published guidance on the subject.
"We recommend that drivers do not make calls while on the road and when receiving calls they should tell the caller that they will call them back when safe to do so," Bob Collins of Dr Oetker told Fleet News.
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