Our inclusion in the DfT’s Road Safety Statement 2019, an announcement that sets out the actions for road safety over the next two years, is a timely reminder for those who employ people who drive for work purposes to ensure they have taken appropriate measures to reduce occupational road risk: all hazards associated with driving for work.
As communicated within the DfT statement, Driving For Better Business – a government backed Highways England programme – continues to identify and promote good practice the management of work related road risk to improve the safety of all drivers in both private and public sector fleets, and is in full support of our partners, PACTS, Euro NCAP, and road safety charities in this collaborative journey.
During the summer months there is often a significant increase in traffic density on certain roads due to the holiday season. Those who drive for work may need to plan extra time for journeys and should ensure they have carried out the necessary vehicle safety checks, especially in light of our research conducted by Censuswide (2019) that reports nearly three quarters of employees who drive for work (74%) said when they check their tyres they simply take a quick glance to see that tyres look ‘OK.’
At the same time, a dual responsibility for managing work related road risk is needed. Our research shows concerning statistics with nearly half of UK employees (45%) who use their personal car for work saying they have not been given a copy of their employer’s driving for work policy. Employers must effectively communicate a good practice driving for work policy across their entire workforce, making sure employees are aware of their legal obligations when driving for work – particularly for those who use their personal cars.
We are also working hard to raise aware of the benefits to fleet operators of procuring safer vehicles. Autonomous Emergency Braking is one of the more promising safety technologies that is becoming increasingly common on both cars and vans. Low speed AEB and has been shown in research conducted by Euro NCAP and ANCAP, the independent safety bodies for Europe and Australasia, to deliver a 38% reduction in real-world rear-end crashes and would be a valuable safety feature for any driver sat in heavy summer traffic.
The Driving for Better Business programme offers free guidance and resource to help employers manage the risks in asking staff to drive for work.Companies registered in the programme collectively manage over 500,000 drivers and 300,000 vehicles
Download the Road Safety Statement
We mentioned as helping deliver the Government’s road safety strategy her:
Page 35 – Safer Vehicles 3.2
Page 42 – Improving safety and air quality 3.22
