ELECTRICITY network provider National Grid has become one of the first fleet customers to trial a service providing a part-time driver for exhausted company car users who need to take to the road. The 'Drive Away Stress' service from Ace Vehicle Deliveries is a response to national surveys which show the stress of driving long hours on congested roads is a danger to the health and safety of company car drivers.

National research has revealed that 15% of fleet drivers admit to falling asleep at the wheel and the Government estimates that 10% of all fatal accidents are tiredness or sleep related. At National Grid, the 'Drive Away Stress' programme was used when an executive faced an increasingly high mileage, reaching more than 1,000 miles a week, on top of a growing workload and long hours.

The firm, which has a mixed fleet of 1,100 cars and 900 vans, used an Ace Vehicle Deliveries driver for six months until the executive had less miles to cover. The Health and Safety Executive is promoting the use of effective management as a tool to reducing accidents, including advising employers on how they can control risks through assessment and training of drivers.