Corporate Manslaughter Bill Concerns for Fleets
Tyre safety could assume even greater importance soon when the Corporate Manslaughter Bill becomes law in the UK, warns Cheshire-based fleettyreline. The Bill is expected to become law within the next 18 months and will create a new offence of Corporate Manslaughter to cover all deaths at work and target corporate rather than individual liability. For example, a company could find itself liable in the instance of a death arising from an unroadworthy vehicle.
Said fleettyreline chairman John Church: “This Bill has far-reaching implications for any company operating a fleet, whether it is half a dozen vehicles or many hundreds. If a vehicle is defective in any area, most notably in a safety-critical area such as tyres, the liability issue is clear-cut. Our understanding is that, if an employee uses his or her vehicle on company business, the liability will also fall on the company.”
