People who drive for work, especially van drivers, are often called out by the public for
poor driving. Many of these people don’t think of themselves as professional drivers, but
driving is a key part of their job. Driving badly (which sometimes means they're being
managed badly) can reflect poorly, not just on their employer but on the sector as a whole.
This is why we're supporting a new free initiative from Driving for Better Business which
can help.
If you play the Lottery, you may be aware that the odds of winning the jackpot are a
staggering 1 in 45 million, yet many of us think those odds are worth a go. After all,
someone has to win, right?
There are almost 40,000 injuries on Britain’s roads each year that involve someone who was
driving for work at the time. With around 20 million vehicles thought to be used for business
journeys, however infrequently, that means the odds of one of your drivers being involved in
an injury collision while driving for work are just 1 in 500 - yet we never think it will happen
to us.
But, the bad news doesn’t stop there. We have reason to believe those injury figures are
significantly under-reported which would make the odds even worse. This is an average, so
if your driver safety management is below average, then your odds are starting to look very
poor indeed.
If you have staff who drive cars or commercial vehicles for work, and you want to ensure
your employees are not part of the problem, it’s vital to set out the importance of driver
safety - and the good practice standards you expect when your staff are driving for work.
Your organisation needs to do this for three reasons:
1. It’s the right thing to do – we all want our staff and other road users to get home to
their families safe and well at the end of each day.
2. It makes good business sense. Poorly managed drivers will increase admin time,
insurance costs, maintenance and fuel use.
3. It is a legal requirement – the law says all companies must have policies and
procedures to minimise risk – and that includes the recognised risks around driving.
In the event of a serious incident, you could be asked to prove what you do to
promote driver safety.
To communicate your commitment, and the required standards to drivers, you need a
driving for work policy.
What should be included in a driving for work policy?
A good policy needs to include specific information in a concise and easy-to-understand
format. Here’s a summary of what needs to be included.
A policy statement which explains to drivers why the policy exists and why it is
important they follow it at all times.
A driver management section covering licence checks, medical conditions, driver
competence and fitness to drive including impairment, fatigue and wellbeing.
A vehicle management section including vehicle roadworthiness, safe loading,
vehicle security, private use of vehicles and towing, if applicable.
A journey management section including driving standards, use of mobile phones,
dealing with fines and penalties, and what to do in the event of a collision or
breakdown.
A grey fleet drivers section – for employees who use their own car for business
journeys. It’s an area often missed, but every time an employee uses their own
vehicle for any work purpose, you have the same legal responsibilities for managing
safety.
Review and update
To be legally compliant, your policy also needs to be kept up to date and reviewed regularly.
From time to time, official legislation and guidance will change or will be updated. This
might come from the DVSA, the Health and Safety Executive, government or be reflected in
the Highway Code. Many of these changes might need to be reflected in your policy and
communicated to drivers.
The policy must be owned by a director or similar senior manager who has overall
responsibility for creating, communicating and reviewing it, as well as monitoring
compliance. This person is also responsible for keeping the policy up-to-date.
Driving for Work Policy Builder
A new, free to access, Driving for Work Policy Builder has just been launched by Driving for
Better Business – the free programme from National Highways. The programme is set up to
raise awareness of the need to manage driver safety, share good practice, and promote the
business benefits that flow from this.
The new Policy Builder is an online tool which will help ensure you have a ‘good practice’ Driving for Work policy.
The Policy Builder is completely free to use and will enable you to:
Access a driving for work policy template and checklist to make sure you’ve got everything covered.
Create a new policy document, or review an existing document, that meets legal and compliance standards.
Get email alerts for any changes in guidance or legislation that could affect your policy.
Receive an annual reminder to review your policy, along with any changes that may be required since the last review.
*Get started with this new free online tool now at Driving for Better Business.
Transformotion supports Driving for Better Business in the interests of improving road safety. This is not a paid promotion.
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