Road safety for businesses

Employers should implement a structured Driving for Work Policy that includes regular risk assessments, driver training, and incident reporting. A practical approach is to organise the policy around four key areas:

• Safe Journey
• Safe Driver
• Safe Vehicle
• Monitor, Investigate and Review

Safe Journey

The way a work journey is planned and scheduled is critical to controlling road risk. 

• Assess the necessity of the trip. Consider if the journey is truly needed. Could the task be completed by other means, such as a video conferencing?
• Plan the safest route. Choose the safest routes suited to the vehicle type. For example, motorways are generally safer than minor roads, especially for larger vehicles. Avoid routes with known hazards such as low bridges or poorly managed junctions.
• Create realistic schedules. Avoid creating schedules that could encourage speeding or driving while fatigued. pressure drivers into speeding or driving while fatigued. Include rest breaks as recommended by the Highway Code.
• Manage driver fatigue. Implement policies to manage the risks of driver fatigue, especially for those working long or irregular hours. Prohibit driving when employees feel sleepy, even if it delays a delivery.
• Account for poor weather. Have clear procedures in place for adverse weather conditions. This includes ensuring vehicles are appropriately equipped (e.g., with winter tyres) and not pressuring drivers to complete journeys in exceptionally difficult weather. 

Safe Driver

Managing the driver means ensuring they are competent, fit for the task, and consistently follow safe driving practices. 

Key actions for employers:

• Assess and authorise drivers. On recruitment and at regular intervals, confirm drivers have a valid ‘entitlement to drive’. Consider assessing the drivers' competence, attitude, and fitness to drive. You may implement a "permit to drive" system where only authorised staff can drive on company business.
• Check driving licenses. Verify that all employees who drive for work hold a valid and appropriate license. Regularly check licenses for endorsements or restrictions. If you employ non-UK nationals that use their non-UK driving licence to drive for work, then you should understand the rules for non-UK Licence holders driving for you.
• Provide training. Use assessment results to identify and provide appropriate training. Training depending on the business needs could “check” drives on the type of vehicle they are using, training and awareness on driving behaviours and how these can reduce collisions (such as fatal 4), training on how to perform basic vehicle checks, training on fatigue management.

This training can not only be of benefit to your driver, but also to your business as it demonstrates that you value your staff, increase retention of staff, reduce the risk of them being involved in a collision (and therefore reduce the risk of having time off due to injury), increase fuel economy thus reducing fuel bills, reduced insurance premiums. This is especially important for young drivers, those with collision histories, or those operating new vehicle types.

• Communicate policies clearly. Ensure drivers understand the company's expectations for safe driving, including rules on mobile phone use, even with hands-free devices, as they can still distract and impair drivers.
• Manage health and fitness. Be aware of your drivers' overall health, including mental health, and take steps to support them.

Safe Vehicles

Ensuring all vehicles are safe, roadworthy, and fit for purpose is both a legal and ethical requirement. This applies to both company-owned and the "grey fleet" (employee-owned) vehicles. 

• Perform regular maintenance. Ensure all vehicles are serviced according to manufacturer recommendations. For grey fleet vehicles, require employees to do the same.
• Conduct routine checks. Mandate that drivers perform pre-use checks on their vehicles, including checking lights, tyres, and oil and water levels.
• Equip vehicles with safety technology. Invest in vehicle technology that enhances safety. This can include intelligent speed assist (ISA), advanced emergency braking (AEB), and driver drowsiness and attention warning (DDAW) systems.
• Fit vehicles for the job. Ensure the vehicle is suitable for its intended use. For example, ensure any safety guards or load restraints are installed and working correctly

Monitor, Investigate, and Review

Effective road risk management is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring and review. 

• Use telematics. Utilise telematics to monitor driving behaviour. This can provide objective data on speeding, harsh braking, and other risky behaviours to identify high-risk drivers and areas for improvement.
• Investigate incidents. Encourage reporting of all incidents and near misses. Investigate these events to determine their root causes and implement measures to prevent future occurrences. Share lessons learned across the organisation.

Avoid a “blame” culture as this may discourage engagement and transparency.

• Review performance. Regularly review the organisation's overall road safety performance. Assess how well your policies are working and identify gaps or areas for improvement.
• Lead by example. Management must lead by example and demonstrate a strong commitment to road safety. This reinforces the idea that safety is a shared responsibility