October 2008 - NORTHGATE OPENS WORKSHOPS TO PUT FLEETS ON THE SAFETY FIRST ROAD WITH FREE WINTER HEALTH CHECK
More people are killed and injured on Britain's roads in the winter, which makes it imperative that vehicles are maintained in tip-top condition.
With the onset of freezing driving conditions, fog and wet roads, Northgate Vehicle Hire is opening its own workshops across the UK with the offer to service and maintain customers' own vehicles and is promoting a free 20-point winter health and safety check.
Department for Transport 2007 road casualty figures reveal that more people were killed and injured on Britain's roads in November than in any other month - 22,134 casualties. In addition, the death toll on the country's roads was highest in October, January and December last year with respectively 264, 259 and 258 people killed.
Northgate is Britain's largest vehicle hire company with a fleet of 68,500 vehicles available for rent from more than 80 rental locations. The company's entire fleet is serviced and maintained through its own in-house workshops. The rental giant was the first in the country to license its mechanics through the Society of Operation Engineers' IRTEC Licensing Scheme - a nationally recognised safety and competence qualification in the maintenance and repair of vehicles.
But, new research among 500 customers reveals that 62% of businesses also own vehicles in addition to renting units from Northgate.
The research also showed that businesses that need to get their own vehicles maintained typically use either a local garage or a franchise dealer. Convenience and the fact that vehicles remain in warranty are the main reasons for these choices being made.
But, now Northgate has launched a new campaign targeting businesses that have rented vehicles from the company - but also have their own fleet of vehicles - and are located near to one of its 46 retail workshops.
Phil Moorhouse, managing director of Northgate Vehicle Hire, said: "The importance of companies managing occupational road risk continues to increase particularly following the April introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act."
"The on-set of winter invariably means driving conditions worsen with visibility often poor and roads frequently icy. It is therefore vital that vehicles are in tip-top condition. A failure by companies and drivers to ensure their vehicles are in a first-class condition could be the difference between life and death."
This year Northgate was one of the first companies to be selected as a 'business champion' under the Department for Transport's safety-focused 'Driving for Better Business' initiative, which is managed by RoadSafe. The organisation is also a corporate member of road safety charity Brake. Additionally, Northgate has won awards from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and had its health and safety focus and staff training recognised by the British Safety Council.
Mr Moorhouse added: "Northgate is a health and safety-focused company. The decision to enable customers to have their owned vehicles serviced and maintained in our workshops is designed to make it more convenient for them to use frontline workshops with very competitive parts and labour rates. We would also encourage all owned fleets to take up our free winter offer and have their vehicles checked out by one of our trained technicians."
Northgate's workshops have gained approval from a number of leading vehicle manufacturers to carry out service, maintenance and warranty work including: Fiat, Ford, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Vauxhall and Volkswagen.
In the future Northgate hopes to make its workshops available to a wider range of businesses as well as the public for vehicle service and maintenance.
The free 20-point winter health and safety check covers:
- All lights
- Oil level
- Screenwash level
- Brake fluid level
- Antifreeze content report
- Power steering fluid level
- Battery condition report
- Vehicle charging system report
- Engine pulley belt condition check
- Horn operation
- Windscreen wipers security and condition
- Windscreen condition
- All mirrors security and condition
- Bodywork condition
- Tyre condition
- Tyre pressures
- Tyre tread depth report
- Wheel nut security and condition
- Seatbelt condition and operation
- Spare wheel and tools present and condition
