RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

November 22, 2001
GOVERNMENT MUST ACT ON 1000 ANNUAL WORK ROAD DEATHS

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents today urged the Government to give its full support to new plans for tackling Britain's biggest occupational safety problem - work-related road accidents.

As the independent Work-Related Road Safety Task Group published its findings, RoSPA said total commitment was needed to reduce an estimated 800-1,000 deaths occurring annually in road accidents linked to work.

Roger Bibbings, RoSPA Occupational Safety Adviser said: "More people are killed in 'at work' road accidents than in all other occupational accidents put together. Since 1996, RoSPA has been leading the campaign for road safety at work to be accepted as part of mainstream health and safety."

The task group is recommending that the Health and Safety Executive should publish clear guidance for employers on their duty to manage the safety of their employees while at work on the road, whether as company car or van drivers, passengers, motor-cyclists or at-work pedestrians.

A key recommendation from the task group is that HSE, the police and other road safety enforcers should work more closely together to apply health and safety law on the road, for example, by investigating whether road accidents may have been caused by employers setting their drivers unrealistic schedules or requiring them to drive while fatigued or use mobile phones while driving.

Roger Bibbings said: “While some extra HSE resources will be required, RoSPA wants to see the Government working in partnership with a wide range of bodies - such as insurers, the fleet sector, employers organisations, trades unions, safety organisations and local authorities – to develop a co-ordinated national action programme to deal with Britain’s biggest occupational safety issue.”

Action by employers on road safety was a “win-win” formula, he said. “Businesses can quickly reduce their existing road accident costs and improve their safety culture. NHS and emergency services bills can be cut and fewer people will be killed and injured. The savings achieved will far outstrip the modest additional expenditure required and employers will also be contributing substantially to achieving the national road safety target of a 40 per cent cut in deaths and serious injuries by 2010.

“Employers already managing health and safety well will have nothing to fear. They will know the importance of measures such as driver assessment, training and setting standards for safer journeys. Employers who choose to ignore road safety will be on notice to change their ways or they could end up in court.”