Do any drivers of company car drivers get their summer tyres changed over to winter tyres?

Just wondered before I put the case to our lot.

I know they will retort, "Do you fit them to your private car?" to which I will reply, "I'm unlikely to drive 400miles in my private car in this weather whereas I need to make the journey in your car!"

Steve

What's wrong with:

"They will make the car safer for all this driving you require of me in these current conditions; reducing the risk of an accident and any associated downtime from work or additional expense that may be connected with such an event"

Remember, we're only half way through January, there's nothing to say something similar might not come back at least once more before the end of April.

Niall

Hi

Here in Europe answer is yes !! both here in Austria and in Croatia my wife was using a company Skoda estate classic, and when winter came around tyres were changed, but of course it is the law to use winter tyres in many parts of europe.

I would argue it's law in many European countries. Could they afford a claim for negligence, or breach of health and safety in the event of an accident. Ask the health and safety department to do a risk assessment of driving a company car fitted with summer tyres in the conditions we've been having recently, as you shouldn't be taking the car out until a risk assessment has been done and any necessary safety precautions taken.

EDIT: You could argue winter tyres fall under protective equipment in health and safety language. They wouldn't allow you to use a chain saw without adequate training and protective equipment, and driving a company vehicle shouldn't be any different. If there is deemed to be a significant risk (current accident rates should demonstrates this), and the use of protective equipment (winter tyres) reduces this risk, then your employers have an obligation under health and safety law.

Edited 14 January, 201016 yr by Phil_P

I have a company car, me and 50 other people from our company in the UK, and we dont get winter tyres. Who pays for the tyres for our cars on the continent I dont know, I will ask when I see them next.

Do any drivers of company car drivers get their summer tyres changed over to winter tyres?

Just wondered before I put the case to our lot.

I know they will retort, "Do you fit them to your private car?" to which I will reply, "I'm unlikely to drive 400miles in my private car in this weather whereas I need to make the journey in your car!"

Steve

I had to fight quite hard to get all season tyres in my last job as the lease company did not like anything out of the ordinary, despite the fact I could get all seasons for less than the OE tyre cost.

Having the need to go off tarmac and on a lot of rural roads helped my case though. :-)

Currently running all seasons (Vredestein Quatrac 3) on a company Octavia 4x4, again for less than the cost of a comparable set of OE tyres. As you have a vRS you probably do not want to run all seasons for all seasons even though you can get quite good all season tyres with high speed ratings now. But, they will never be as precise as a standard performance tyre.

Just tell them you would fit them on your private car if that would make them give in! :-)

Do any drivers of company car drivers get their summer tyres changed over to winter tyres?

Just wondered before I put the case to our lot.

I know they will retort, "Do you fit them to your private car?" to which I will reply, "I'm unlikely to drive 400miles in my private car in this weather whereas I need to make the journey in your car!"

Steve

Nope. Employer wont pay for them, and company car policy, as well as their insurers requirements, dictate the car is the same spec as from the factory/dealership. No additional modifications, alterations or deviations unless authorised by both company MD and insurance co in WRITING.

As most company insurances cover everything (cars, liability, buildings, stock etc etc) cant see they'd be too happy at you potentially voiding their insurance if you do it off your own back.

Then there's the question who pays for it, and where are the winters kept? Most company/lease car drivers have a hard enough job getting decent replacement tyres when needed, I think you'll struggle to convince the powers that be that 2 abnormal snow events demands winter tyres.

At ATS Euromaster, only the directors' cars have CWTs fitted, and ATS is owned by.....Michelin!

I know this isn't particularly closely related, but has anyone succeeded in getting any further driving training out of their company because you drive on company business, I was thinking defensive driving and such like?

I know a couple of female colleagues of mine have their eyes on a skid pan course, I wonder if they'll manage to get the whole team of 6 I work in on it!?

Also mainly on the site I work at we drive minbuses and occasionally 4x4 Ford Rangers and I wouldn't mind having a bit of fun (sorry, proper training) off road...

Edited 14 January, 201016 yr by Ed-Preston

Apparently we have a driver course but when I told them I had already done my advanced motorist course I was told that was better than the course they would have sent me on. Back to the topic of getting wheels/tyres for company cars, myself and a few other have been mithering our manager for spare wheels for our new cars but its all fallen on deaf ears. Although that is due to our useless purchasing department rather then HSBC. About 6 months ago my boss got a puncture in his Audi A6. He tried the can of gunk, unsurprisingly it didnt work. Anyway long story short, from getting the puncture to getting on the road again took nearly 8 hours !!!