Employers in the UK are being urged to maintain a duty of care or risk falling foul of legislation, following a recent survey of almost 1,000 business drivers by ALD Automotive.

According to the research, only 41 percent of drivers had been given any formal driver training or coaching by their employer, and less than 2 percent expected to receive any specific training in the next 12 months. Less than a quarter of employees had been asked to perform a health check to ensure that they were fit to drive for work purposes and less than 1 percent expected to have a health check in 2013.

These findings come despite wide-ranging legislation introduced over the last 10 years to raise the profile of duty of care for the 3 million drivers of company vehicles on the road in the UK.

Mel Dawson, managing director for ALD Automotive UK, said: "As we know, existing legislation requires employers to ensure the safety of staff undertaking any form of driving for work-related reasons. These statistics are concerning as they suggest a large proportion of businesses are, perhaps, still not giving this area of fleet the priority it needs to have. Despite the tough economic climate, road risk management is more important than ever, so we are urging employers to put a comprehensive road risk policy in place, before it's too late, to ensure the safety of their employees and others on the road. Besides the moral and legal obligation to do so, an effective occupational road risk policy will also lead to significant financial savings from reductions in accidents, insurance premiums and vehicle repairs to 'hidden savings', such as improved fuel consumption, reduced wear and tear and a reduction in lost staff time."