With road safety never far from the headlines, new research by Webfleet has revealed that employers need to take a more proactive approach to tackle the problem of work-related road risk head on.
The study among senior managers at 400 UK businesses [1] shows that a surprising 21 per cent of UK companies whose employees drive for work purposes have no road safety policy in place.
Yet 60 per cent of respondents said staff members had been involved in road traffic accidents while on business duty.
The results come hot on the heels of new figures which show the number of road deaths in the EU have not reduced in the last three years [2].
According to recent analysis of EU road safety data by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), there were 25,671 road deaths in the European Union in 2016, with up to 40% of these believed to be work-related [3].
Although driving is one of the most high-risk activities for most workers, it is often neglected when it comes to workplace health and safety planning.
But employers who persist in turning a blind eye to the issue of safeguarding staff on the road could face prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work Act or Corporate Manslaughter legislation if an employee is killed or seriously injured.
The research also found only 64 per cent of organisations have processes in place to profile the risk posed by individual drivers, based on factors such as driving behaviour or previous convictions.
The latest telematics technology can play a pivotal role in improving safety by monitoring and measuring driver behaviour behind the wheel and giving live feedback which alerts drivers to dangerous or inefficient driving practices. Our OptiDrive 360 software, for example, highlights the highest risk drivers in red, helping to ensure that coaching and training can be targeted in the most effective way.
Check out our guide to how telematics can help you meet your workplace Health and Safety regulations and Duty of Care obligations.
For further information on the market research results, please email: connor.murphy@cameronwells.co.uk
[1] The study was conducted among senior managers in 400 companies with five employees or more.
[2] European Transport Safety Council http://etsc.eu/up-to-40-of-road-deaths-in-europe-are-work-related/
[3] European Transport Safety Council http://etsc.eu/up-to-40-of-road-deaths-in-europe-are-work-related/
