Driving for work is likely to be the most hazardous activity that your employees perform. It is estimated that up to a third of all road traffic collisions involve someone who is at work at the time – this may account for over 20 fatalities and 250 serious injuries every week.
In the UK, employers and organisations have a legal “duty of care” to ensure the safety, health, and well-being of their employees, contractors, visitors, and anyone affected by their operations.
If your organisation operates vehicles in the course of doing business, including any personal vehicles being driven for business purposes, you must implement a comprehensive road risk management strategy to meet your duty of care obligations. This includes conducting thorough risk assessments to identify potential hazards and implementing appropriate control measures. Employees must receive adequate training on safe driving practices and the organisation’s road safety policies. Regular vehicle maintenance and checks ensure that vehicles are safe and fit for purpose.
Your organisation should also monitor and review driving performance and incidents to continually improve safety standards. Policies should be in place to manage driver fatigue, use of mobile phones, and other distractions, and drugs and alcohol management, including training and testing. Finally, maintaining accurate records and documentation of all these activities is essential for demonstrating compliance with legal requirements.
Zurich Resilience Solutions is the dedicated risk management function of the Zurich Insurance Group, although our services are available to anyone, whether or not they insure with Zurich. Our Motor Risk Consultants provide expertise in all matters relating to operational road risk management.
If you need help with your operational road risk management arrangements, please email zrs.enquiries@uk.zurich.com for more details and to arrange a no-obligation consultation.
