With the wettest November on record just past and around a third of all road accident fatalities involving employees going about their work activities, Philippa Luscombe, head of the specialist personal injury team at Penningtons Solicitors LLP, strongly advises employers to dust off their driving policies this winter.
“Driving is statistically the most dangerous work activity with around 20 people killed and 250 seriously injured every week in road accidents involving people who were driving or being driven for work purposes. Any employer who has not fully considered the implications of an employee being involved in a road accident could find themselves either facing prosecution under the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007 or the wrong end of a personal injury claim,” says Philippa.
“Employers should not only ensure that some form of driving policy features within their health and safety policy but also make it clear to staff that senior management take this issue seriously and both lead by example and expect everyone who drives in the course of their work to drive safely.”
On a more positive note, Philippa highlights the commercial benefits of being serious about a driving policy: “Employees who drive sensibly and at appropriate speeds will incur less cost on company vehicles in terms of wear and tear and fuel. Insurance premiums for both motor and employers liability insurance will be lower if claims are minimised; time spent dealing with accidents and investigations will be avoided and, ultimately, if accidents are reduced, then sick days will be lower. So a good driving policy can address many hidden costs of poor driving practices.”
A useful starting point for developing a driving policy is The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publication, 'Driving at work', which makes clear that health and safety legislation applies just as much to 'on the road' work activities, whether it is driving as a main activity or occasional/short distance driving. The 'Driving at work' guidelines can be downloaded from
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg382.pdf