Training on offer to improve safety of young drivers at work
June 30th 2009 Concerns that young people are not equipped for driving at work are being addressed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, which is developing free workshops to tackle issues uncovered in a major study of the problem.
The safety charity is now looking for 10 organisations which employ young drivers to pilot the Driving for Work workshops. The sessions have been specifically designed to help employers better equip and protect their staff aged between 17 and 24-years-old.
A study conducted as part of RoSPA’s Young Drivers at Work project found that more than 60 per cent of employers felt the current system of learner training and testing did not adequately prepare young people to drive as part of their job.
Young people who get behind the wheel as part of their work – whether to make deliveries, as part of a sales team or simply to drive passengers around a site – face, and create, a higher risk than other drivers.
Figures show that young motorists are more at risk of being killed or injured on the roads than more experienced drivers and it is also estimated that one in three crashes in the UK involves a vehicle being driven for work.
RoSPA will initially pilot 10 interactive workshops, which are designed to be delivered in-company to groups of 10-15 young drivers, from next month until October.
After the pilot workshops are completed, RoSPA will use feedback from the sessions to develop free training guides so that employers can run similar events for their own staff.
The workshops will cover issues raised by employers who took part in the Young Drivers at Work project survey, including the differences between driving for work and what is covered in the learner test.
Duncan Vernon, RoSPA road safety manager, said: “It is clear that further support is needed for young drivers at work, and employers have indicated they prefer face-to-face workshops as a way of giving that support.
“The Driving for Work workshops have been developed to go some way towards bridging the clear skills and training gap highlighted in our report, which was published earlier this year.
“Many young drivers are currently required to drive in a context for which they are not adequately prepared, and these workshops offer a chance to address some of the issues they face.
“Journey planning, hazard awareness and the causes of work accidents will be examined, as will ways of influencing the attitudes of young drivers.”
RoSPA is also offering opportunities for smaller businesses to send their young employees to workshops, so that firms with one or two young drivers can also benefit from the training.
Duncan Vernon added: “We want to empower employers to better equip and protect their young driving staff. Making these free resources available fits in with our charitable mission to save lives and reduce injuries.”
Organisations interested in taking part in the workshops should contact Duncan Vernon at dvernon@rospa.com or 0121 248 2078.
See www.rospa.com/roadsafety/youngdriversatwork for full details of the Young Drivers at Work project, which is being funded by the Department for Transport. More articles from RoSPA: | 
