Employers given road safety reminder

Employers are being reminded of their responsibilities with regards to the safety of workers who drive as part of their job.

According to the campaign group RoadSafe, companies need to take action to reduce the number of employees involved in road accidents.

It cites government statistics which show that 27.1 per cent of vehicles involved in crashes last year were being driven by employees travelling to work or making work-related journeys, up from 26.7 per cent in 2006.

Adrian Walsh, director of RoadSafe, said that while the overall number of accidents on UK roads fell in 2007, the number involving at-work drivers is still "alarmingly high".

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"It is imperative that more companies focus on implementing comprehensive occupational road risk management strategies to safeguard the welfare of their employees and prevent potential legal action against the business," he remarked.

Research carried out earlier this year by the road safety charity Brake revealed that at-work drivers are more likely to break speed limits and tailgate other vehicles than those driving for non-business purposes.