Alphabet has launched a driver guide to back health and incorrect posture.

It is estimated that 14 million UK drivers regularly suffer from Repetitive Driving Injury (RDI), thanks to poor posture and sitting incorrectly in their cars. Such injuries have resulted in millions of working days being lost, accumulating in organisations losing over £1 billion each year.

Longer commuting distances and increased business travel are becoming ‘the norm’ for a generation of highly mobile workers, with some ‘extreme’ commuters and regular business travellers going far beyond the UK average of 51 minutes per day.

Alphabet is urging organisations to encourage their employees to make sure they know how to adjust the seat in their vehicles to create the optimum driving position, and has produced an ‘Are you sitting comfortably?’ guide to help drivers ensure they are in the best seating position for their posture.

In a bid to promote better employee health and greater safety for fleets, Adam Lupton, HR director at Alphabet (pictured) said:  “Although these tips may seem simple and obvious to some, many of us spend more than an hour every day in our cars and often forget the long-term effect this can have on our back and neck. How to adjust the seating is detailed in a vehicle handbook, but many drivers might not actually know what a correct driving position should be to help them reduce Repetitive Driving Injuries (RDI).”

“By publishing our ‘Are you sitting comfortably?’ drivers guide, we hope we can help employees avoid RDIs and assist businesses in reducing the number of working days lost to them.

"It can help drivers improve their own comfort and safety when they travel, whether that’s in their own company car, a rental vehicle, a pool car or a corporate car-sharing programme like AlphaCity. Forward thinking organisations understand the value of positive ergonomics in the workplace and these practical, simple steps will help promote a similar approach while commuting or travelling on business.”

The guide is available at alphabet.com/en-gb/driving-guidance.

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