Driving out road risk
May 9th 2007 With driving considered to be the most dangerous activity undertaken by most people in their working lives, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has stepped up its campaign to encourage employers to manage this risk.
RoSPA estimates that between a quarter and a third of deaths on Britain's roads each year are related to someone being at work at the time.
The average risk of death for a motorist covering 25,000 miles a year is about the same as someone working in the mining or quarrying industry.
Today, thirty per cent of miles driven are for work purposes. Health and Safety law has been extended to cover less obvious areas, for example work cars used for commuting to meet clients.
Traditionally driving legislation has only been linked with roles that are based entirely on travelling, such as lorry work. But RoSPA emphasises that the use of any vehicle for work must be managed in the same way as any other workplace risk.
Road death is investigated as unlawful killing. If an accident occurred during working hours, the work regime would be taken into consideration, and the business may be held liable. “Managers should lead by example” according to RoSPA, “they should be prepared that employees are not contactable when driving and ensure journeys are well-planned, taking fatigue into account”.
For further information, just  click here. More articles from RoSPA: | 
