Employers have a vested interest in improving road safety and have an important role to play. Between 800 and 1,000 people are killed annually in work-related road traffic accidents, about a third of the overall number of fatalities. Many more incur injuries that require them to take time off work, which reduces organisational efficiency and effectiveness.
Employers and their fleet managers can reduce risks to employees driving in work time. Putting in systems to identify employees at above average risk of a crash can save money in insurance premiums and repair bills, as well as being of benefit to staff. As a health and safety issue, employers should ensure that employees have time to make work journeys without speeding, and can help change organisational culture, for instance by introducing stringent policies on mobile phone use. Such policies should be complementary to workplace travel plans which encourage staff to use alternatives to single-occupancy car use.
Organisations in the public sector such as councils, schools and hospitals are often among the largest employers in any given locality and therefore road safety issues can be significant to them. They also have an important role in community leadership by setting a good example to other large employers in the area.
Self-assessments for employers can be found at the links below: