Campaign aims to cut work related injury rates on UK roads

RoadSafe, the road safety partnership of leading companies in the motor and transport industries, has unveiled the latest government - backed road safety scheme: “Driving for Better Business”. This initiative is part of the Department for Transport’s “Driving for Work Business Champions Outreach Programme” aimed at reducing the number of deaths and injuries on the road, whilst driving on business.

The programme is developing a network of champions, made up of employers from the public, private and voluntary sectors, supporting them in taking the message to industry. Employers will be encouraged to embrace Health and Safety Legislation not only in the workplace, but also whilst driving during working hours. This comes after worrying statistics which show that everyday, more than 150 vehicles are involved in an accident on work-related journeys.

A simple step to make company cars and vans safer says RoadSafe, would be for fleet managers and specifiers to require all new vehicles to be fitted with stability control. RoadSafe is a member of the pan European eSafetyAware initiative, which is behind the “Choose ESC!” campaign and according to RoadSafe fitment of ESC (Electronic Stability Control) could reduce crashes by forty per cent.

The campaign, which will run from December this year until mid-2009, initially focuses on van drivers, and the rapidly-expanding van fleet and home delivery markets. There are more than 320,000 sub-3.5 tonne vans registered annually, and with a net increase of 170,000 per annum, this means that dangers on the road are also escalating.

Mercedes-Benz together with a number of large and small home delivery businesses such as Tesco and Chelmsford Electrical have already committed to the campaign. In addition, organisations such as the Fleet Safety Association and the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association have enthusiastically backed the campaign and are promoting the initiative to their members.

Adrian Walsh, RoadSafe Director, explains: “Given the explosion in demand for van drivers as a result of the boom in Internet shopping, it is important that employers focus on vehicle and driving standards, and do not simply assume that being in possession of a driving licence is a guarantee of ability. The safety vehicles with ESC will make a real difference. Our “Business Champions” strategy will result in a substantial increase in the number of companies that adopt effective work-related road safety policies.”

Although the new programme is only coming into effect this year, there has already been a significant investment by companies to improve safety measures amongst their workforce, who are regularly driving for work. At a recent British Chambers of Commerce Conference, Douglas Alexander MP, Secretary of State for Transport paid tribute to business leaders who had introduced internal codes of good practice for driving for work.

He said to delegates: “You all have a duty of care. Those companies which have good schemes in place can and should take the story to others.” Explaining the DfT funded Driving for Better Business programme he added: “Business and government are working together to identify best practice and to help to cascade it to others.”