Gloucestershire Council promotes road safety

Gloucestershire County Council is among the first public sector organisations to become a ‘business champion’ under the Government-backed ‘Driving for Better Business’ campaign, which is delivered by RoadSafe.

The council’s occupational road risk management focus coupled with its programme of seminars and training to raise awareness among local employers of the dangers of driving on business has seen the organisation become only the second county council to achieve ‘business champion’ status.

With an estimated up to 200 road deaths and serious injuries a week resulting from crashes involving at work drivers, and more employees killed and seriously injured on Britain’s roads while driving on behalf of their employer than in any other work-related activity, the campaign aims to cut the carnage.

The county council operates a fleet of 175 vehicles, which includes company cars and vans as well as specialist vehicles mobile libraries and minibuses with wheelchair access.

Additionally, around 1,500 ‘essential car users’ drive their own vehicle on council business and a number of other employees has ‘casual user’ status. Last year, staff driving their own cars travelled more than 7.5 million miles.

Recently, the county council has undertaken a root and branch review of its entire fleet operation and introduced a raft of measures to ensure employees and all other road users are as safe as possible and that the council is fully compliant with all at-work driving-related health and safety legislation.

The council’s compliance process is overseen by an Occupational Road Risk Board, which includes director, health and safety, road safety, fleet manager and union representation.

It has produced a senior management-backed comprehensive policy document that outlines safe driving procedures that that service managers and drivers must follow.

These include checks on driver and vehicle-related documents - driving licences, insurance, MoT certificates, servicing etc - to ensure their validity and current status.

In addition employee risk assessments are carried out and additional training provided if required.

Neil Chatten, the council’s safety, health and environment adviser, said: “The policy was heavily promoted within the council and staff compliance is monitored through health and safety audits as well as sporadic spot checking.”

Staff must report all work-related transport and road traffic incidents and near-misses, which are investigated by line managers in a bid to ensure there is no repetition with remedial action taken if required.

Bob Gibbons, transport engineering manager, said: “The road risk policies have challenged managers’ views about driving on business and have highlighted the risks involved and the importance of managing those risks. The policies we have introduced give managers and staff the information to question current practice with regard to transport and vehicle use.”

While it is too early in the process to highlight the impact the policy has had on accident reduction, the council is confident that the programme will deliver a reduction in incidents and, as a result, financial savings.

Meanwhile, the council’s Environment Directorate has started to look at the introduction of alternatives to staff driving their own cars on business trips. Any reduction in vehicle mileage will not only reduce risks, but will also reduce the council’s carbon footprint and trim fuel and other costs.

Mr Gibbons added: “Introduction of the policies was only the beginning. The real workload comes now with addressing the risk and operational issues that occur every day as employees take to the roads on council business.”

Meanwhile, a second strand to the council’s safe-driving strategy is its road safety partnership, which is focused on encouraging local businesses to follow its lead and introduce appropriate risk management policies.

Garry Handley, the Road Safety Partnership’s driver training manager, said: “We are providing advice and delivering workshops, including practical training and assessment, to a wide cross-section of companies across the county.

“Reducing the number of road traffic incidents on the county’s roads will improve efficiencies and reduce costs for all businesses. Companies have a legal duty to protect employees when they are driving and, therefore, we are encouraging and promoting the importance of work-related road safety policies.”

The council becomes the 27th public or private sector organisation to achieve ‘business champion’ status within the campaign, which is working with the police and a raft of other agencies to encourage companies and organisations nationwide to implement best practice occupational road risk management programmes.

Last year, 2,538 people were killed on Britain’s roads and 228,367 injured, according to the Department for Transport. Estimates suggest that around one third of the more than 170,000 road accidents resulting in personal injury last year involved a vehicle being driven on business - a figure that is totally disproportionate to the total number of vehicles on the nation’s roads.

Cllr Stan Waddington, Gloucestershire County Council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “Our focus is on improving road safety by trying to set an example with a get our ‘own house in order’ approach.

“Cutting the number of deaths on our roads is a top priority for us, so as one of the county’s biggest employers, making sure our own staff are aware of the risks and listen to the safety messages is essential.”

Campaign director Caroline Scurr said: “Gloucestershire County Council is at the forefront of promoting road safety.

“As ‘business champions’ local authorities have a crucial role to play in occupational road risk management not only within their own organisations but by using their relationships with businesses in their areas to promote safe driving.

“We are actively encouraging other councils to follow the lead being provided by Gloucestershire.”