Newly launched Health & Safety Executive guidance on driving and riding for work is to be spotlighted by Driving for Better Business this week.
The revised guidance, created jointly by the HSE and the Department for Transport, tells employers exactly what is expected of them when managing work-related road risk.
It launches on the back of dramatic changes in driving and riding for work in recent years, due to the booming gig economy, the rise in online shopping and delivery, the steady increase in ‘grey fleet’ use and rapidly changing vehicle technology.
The new guidance will be the centrepiece of the Driver Safety Zone, being hosted by Driving for Better Business at the Health and Safety conference from today until Thursday (7-9 September) at the NEC.
The guidance will come under focus in the Driver Safety Theatre, which will see a range of experts explain its impact on employers and how they can implement good practice to ensure they’re compliant with its recommendations.
It’s part of a packed programme for the Driver Safety Zone – which features leading experts, thought leaders and suppliers in road risk management. At the event, Driving for Better Business will also highlight the growing gap between the standard safety technology on cars and HGVs, vs vans and light commercial vehicles.
Simon Turner, Driving for Better Business campaign manager, said: “For most people, driving will be the highest-risk activity they do while at work. One in three road collisions in Britain involves someone driving as part of their job – plus many more involving people travelling to or from their place of work. The Health and Safety at Work Act requires employers to take appropriate steps to ensure the health and safety of their employees and others who may be affected by their activities when at work. This applies when driving in the same way as it does in the workplace.
“But there is also a very strong business case for managing work-related road safety. Fewer road incidents mean fewer days lost to injury; fewer repairs to vehicles with vehicles out of action; fewer missed orders and overall reduced running costs.”
Also on show will be the white Kia Soul EV car that Simon Turner will drive for Project EDWARD – Every Day Without A Road Death which this year is managed by RoadSafe in partnership with Driving for Better Business. It is one of three cars travelling through England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with a week-long series of events to promote good practice road safety between 13 and 17 September.
