FLEET managers have given a warm welcome to a new electronic driver's handbook that provides comprehensive PC-generated details of driving policies and procedures, and allows companies to customise them electronically to meet their own requirements.

The new electronic driver's handbook tackles latest road and driving legislation, health and safety requirements, driving hours, mobile phone policies, insurance requirements and licence checking, and provides a comprehensive audit trail as part of an overall driver safety management system which could protect the company from liability in the event of a serious incident.

It has been launched by award-winning driver safety and risk management specialist Peak Performance Management (PPM) with updates available through the PPM risk management website at no extra cost.

Di Rees, business services manager at Leo Pharmaceutical who runs a fleet of 175-vehicles and is also a director of the Association of Car Fleet Operators, is one of the fleet managers currently using the handbook and welcomed it as "an excellent tool for fleet managers".

'It is ideal for updating existing driver's handbooks and will save a lot of time for fleet managers. It is completely interactive and a lot of thought has gone into it. If you don't already have handbooks for your drivers with details of company policies, then it's perfect starting point and saves a lot of time," she said.

Gill Shaw, fleet manager at Roche Products which operates a fleet of some 320 cars said: "This is an excellent and comprehensive guide covering all aspects of driver and employee responsibility with regard to company vehicles. It's an absolute godsend to anyone wishing to either set up a car policy or to review an existing one."

James Sutherland managing director at Chesterfield-based Peak Performance, said: "The driver's handbook goes a long way to extending existing health and safety systems to include company driving.

"In the light of increasing interest from both police and health and safety officials with regard to work-related accidents, it is essential a handbook is in place to provide evidence of a driver safety management system. This could help protect the company from lability.

"The handbook provides a template for companies to readily create their own set of driver policies and procedures. The electronic format makes it far more accessible than traditional manuals, and we are delighted by fleet managers' response to it to date."

The Company Drivers' Handbook from Peak Performance Management costs £150 plus VAT and includes a hard copy version, plus free web-supplied updates.