RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

April 4, 2001
EMPLOYERS URGED TO BACK ROAD SAFETY "DREAM TICKET"

Bosses must start a road safety revolution if the high number of people killed while driving for work is to be reduced, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said today.

John Howard, RoSPA Director of Safety Policy, will urge employers at a conference in London tomorrow (Thursday) to back the road safety "dream ticket" which will not only save lives, but also money for all involved.

He will tell a meeting called by the independent Work Related Road Safety Task Group that managing the risk faced by employees on the road as part of an organisation’s health and safety policy means everyone is a winner.

Employees benefit by not being involved in crashes, employers gain by not having to meet accident costs and the Government win with lower accident figures and less cost to health services.

The task group believes up to 1,000 road deaths in Great Britain are in some way linked with people driving for work. It wants a national debate over the next two months so that it can report to the Government on the best solutions to tackle the problem.

RoSPA has led the way on the issue of managing occupational road risk (MORR) for more than four years - and has particular concerns about the role played by company car and van drivers. The Society says far too many organisations ignore the risks faced by their employees while driving, when they should have a sensible system for managing travel safety, just as they have for safety in the workplace.

John Howard will tell the conference that if national road safety targets are to be met, the time for a change in employers’ attitude is now. Within companies, the lead must come from the top. It is no use bosses setting standards for their employees, if they do not match up to them themselves.

Unrealistic schedules, which encourage driving too fast or when tired, have to be discouraged. Planning for safe travel, selecting suitable vehicles and supporting drivers with training have to be encouraged.

People on the road for work face a higher risk of injury than those in most other work sectors. Someone driving 25,000 miles a year for business is at almost the same risk of death as a coal miner.