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Walkaround and defect reports
The driver’s first-use check and the written report of any defects found.
This is general information for UK goods-vehicle operators. It is not legal advice. Use the official source on this page, and your operator licence conditions, before you rely on it.
What it is
Drivers must be able to report defects that could affect safe operation. The Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness expects a walkaround check before a vehicle is used for the first time that day, and a written report of defects found during the check, on the road, or on return to base. The report should identify the vehicle, the date, the defect, and who reported it. Someone with authority then assesses it and records the repair.
Who holds it
The operator holds the reports, whether they are on paper or electronic. The driver completes the check. Owner-drivers still record defects and the repair, even if there is nobody else to hand the sheet to.
At a visit
Examiners look for a system that is actually used: reports exist for the days the vehicle worked, defects were assessed, and unsafe vehicles were kept off the road. A stack of blank forms is not a system.
How long to keep it
The Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness says drivers’ defect reports that record faults and rectification must be kept for at least 15 months, including electronic reports. It recommends keeping nil-defect reports for at least 3 months as evidence the check was carried out. Nil-defect retention is a recommendation in the guide, not the same 15-month duty as defect reports.