Almost a third of company car drivers admit to breaking the law when using their phones in their vehicles, a survey for Croner has found.
New rules in force from today double the financial penalty for being caught using a mobile while driving from £30 to £60 alongside the risk of up to three penalty points.
Police have also warned that companies whose drivers are found to have broken the rules on several occasions could themselves face prosecution for failing to regulate staff.
Croner warned that smaller businesses are particularly at risk because they are unlikely to have the staff awareness training programmes available to larger firms.
Alongside fines, prosecution would mean higher business insurance premiums for company drivers.
Under the Health and Safety at Work act employers have a duty to ensure the safety and wellbeing of staff, and Croner said that all employers should inform staff of the rules.
