Absence of driving for work policy for one in four

A high proportion of employers are failing in their duty of care obligations by not having a driving for work policy.

That’s according to a poll conducted by Driving for Better Business, which found that more than a quarter (27%) of respondents did not have a documented HSE-compliant ‘Driving at Work’ road safety policy.

Furthermore, for those that did have a policy in place, a similar proportion (26%) said it had not been reviewed in the past three years.  

Driving for work is statistically the most dangerous activity employees undertake, according to Driving for Better Business.

Up to a third of all road traffic incidents involve someone who is driving for work at the time - accounting for some 500 fatalities and almost 40,000 injuries a year.

Driving for Better Business, which is run by National Highways, has created an interactive Driving for Work Policy Builder, which launches today (Tuesday, April 30), to help fleet-using companies better address their legal responsibilities.

Simon Turner, campaign manager for Driving for Better Business, said: “Our Driving for Work Policy Builder has the potential to deliver a huge positive impact on how employers think about driver safety – especially those, and there are many, that currently have no driver policy at all.

“It will help employers create, review, and update their own policy and it will cover all the key relevant risks for managing policies, drivers, vehicles and journeys.

“With a template and checklist, it covers all the key risks of most fleets, and can be adapted to individual companies.”

Companies need a driving for work policy because it is a legal requirement: the law says all companies must have policies and procedures to minimise risk – and that includes the recognised risks around driving.

In the event of a serious incident, a company must be able to produce documentary proof that the organisation has taken reasonable steps to protect drivers and other road users.

It also makes good business sense. Poorly managed drivers will cost companies more: higher insurance, increased servicing and maintenance costs, more speeding tickets and greater fuel use.

Furthermore, says Driving for Better Business, it is the right thing to do so that staff and other road users get home to their families safe and well at the end of each day.

To find out more about the new Driving for Work Policy Builder, click here.