ACCURATE casualty figures for drivers at work involved in serious injury and fatal crashes are becoming clearer, according to researchers. Peter Davies and John Pearson, managing partner and associate partner of the Business Strategy Group, outlined findings of studies into road accidents at the At Work Road Safety Conference.

They produced figures which tried to calculate accurately the number of company cars and vans involved in accidents, as well as data showing the benefits of adopting driver training in terms of reduced costs. They said research carried out by four police forces showed that out of 43 fatal accidents during the period of research, 19 involved someone at work, and four of the people killed were at work at the time.

A study of A-roads in Cambridgeshire showed that 24% of people involved in accidents were on business at the time, and commercial vehicles accounted for 17% of the total. Pearson said: 'We have found that the risk of a fleet car having a serious accident is one in 250 every year, and that a newly qualified driver is at five times greater risk of having an accident compared with someone who has 30 years' experience.

'Accident rates double in built-up areas and, compared with motorways, a driver is eight times more likely to have an accident in a built-up area. Accident liability is not proportional to annual mileage. One fleet insurer provided data on a study of driver training in 34 fleets of cars and commercial vehicles. Third party claims fell by 60%, when 50% of drivers received training at an average cost of £73 per vehicle.'