25% of road deaths 'work-related'

12 April 2012

A quarter of all road deaths involve an at-work driver, figures have revealed.

Last year, 850 people were killed and 6,102 seriously injured in work-related crashes, according to Department for Transport statistics released by road safety charity Brake.

This is the first time such figures have become available as it was not until 2005 that police started to record the journey purpose of vehicles involved in crashes.

Brake is now urging companies to use the statistics as a wake-up call to ensure they have risk management practices in place to keep employees safe.

Supported by the Department for Transport (DfT), Brake has produced a safety DVD for firms which includes hard-hitting interviews with families bereaved by road crashes involving at-work drivers.

Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman said: "The DfT is very much committed to preventing work-related road crashes, and as part of this commitment we are pleased to provide funding to Brake to produce its Busy Enough To Kill DVD.

"The DVD is a hard-hitting and effective resource that fleet managers will find invaluable in raising vital road safety awareness among their drivers."

Jools Townsend, head of education at Brake, said: "Road safety campaigners have suspected for many years that a large proportion of road crashes involve people driving for work.

"These figures demonstrate how important it is that, firstly, the Government takes corporate responsibility for at-work driving seriously and, secondly, all employers take the life-savings steps of educating employees on safe driving and effectively managing their road risk."

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