A NEW campaign is being launched by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents in a bid to cut the number of road deaths and injury accidents involving company car drivers.

Hopes are high that the initiative, which has so far received tentative backing from the Department of Transport and Health and Safety Executive, will result in a national debate leading to fleets being issued with a code of conduct.

The campaign follows publication of new figures which reveal company car drivers who clock up 25,000 miles a year face a level of risk of death equivalent to that faced by miners and are more at risk than people working in the construction industry, agriculture or service industries.

RoSPA estimates around 25% of the 3,650 fatalities on Britain's roads and the 46,531 serious injuries in 1994 involved vehicles being driven on business. That compares with 500 deaths from all other accidents associated with work activities.

RoSPA has held initial meetings with the DoT and HSE and has circulated its 30-page discussion paper - 'Managing Occupational Road Risk' - to almost 80 people including road safety minister Steven Norris, European transport commissioner Neil Kinnock, the CBI, TUC, Transport Research Laboratory, trade unions and university research departments as well as the AA, RAC and some driver training organisation.