RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

November 25, 1998
BOSSES URGED TO TACKLE RISK ON THE ROAD

Creating an accident-free culture for company car and van drivers is just one of the topics up for discussion at a series of one-day conferences organised by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

Managing Occupational Road Risk (MORR) is one of RoSPA’s key issues for action and a major campaign was launched this year in an attempt to reduce the number of accidents involving motorists travelling for work.

RoSPA is calling for companies or employers, whose staff drive as part of their job, to manage the risks involved as part of their health and safety policy. This approach has support from 17 leading organisations, including Kellogg, the CBI and the TUC.

Now, the Society has organised three one-day conferences across the country, which are sponsored by Zurich, to discuss and look at ways employers can improve their drivers’ safety.

The first is on Wednesday, March 24, 1999, at the Glasgow Hilton Hotel, the second, on Wednesday, May 12, at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, and the last one will be at the RAC Club in London, on Wednesday, September 1.

Speakers include Jim Horne, from the Sleep Research Unit at Loughborough University, who will be looking at driver fatigue, and Ed Dubens, director of Licence to Drive, will be speaking on ‘Creating an accident-free culture’.

The conferences are aimed at safety professionals, including fleet and transport managers, health and safety managers/advisers, company drivers and insurance brokers.

Roger Bibbings, RoSPA’s Occupational Safety Adviser, said: "Car and van drivers who cover 25,000 miles or more as part of their job are at almost the same risk of being killed as construction workers. Between 500 and 1,000 road deaths in Britain are believed to be linked with accidents involving vehicles being driven for work purposes."

RoSPA launched its Managing Occupational Road Risk campaign in March with a guidance document for companies, backed by the Government, police, CBI and Trade Unions.