A new campaign has been launched to warn that employers could face prosecution for failing to provide adequate training to staff who drive for work. 5i115
While workers in fixed locations often receive first aid training and operate in environments where trained colleagues are on hand, millions of professional and grey fleet drivers are left without such – despite the road being the UK’s most dangerous workplace.
The Driving Down Inequality campaign, led by the not-for-profit organisation Driver First Assist (DFA) and ed by Beverley Bell CBE, former senior traffic commissioner for Great Britain, shines a spotlight on the exclusion of millions of drivers from basic workplace safety measures.
It warns that many employers exclude drivers from incident response and first-aid training simply because they are not based in a fixed location – leaving drivers unprotected and businesses exposed to legal and reputational risk.
David Higginbottom, CEO at Driver First Assist, said: “Employers have a legal and moral duty to protect their people, wherever they work. If you wouldn’t leave a warehouse or office team without first aid , why is it considered acceptable for drivers?”
On average, five people are killed and hundreds are injured on the UK’s roads every day.
Driving for work remains one of the most dangerous aspects of employment. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), one in three road deaths and one in five serious injuries involve someone driving for work.
The HSE’s publication, ‘Driving and Riding Safely for Work’, designed to help employers comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, states: “You must assess workers’ health and safety capabilities and competence.”
Despite this guidance, the campaign says many employers remain unaware of it or lack a practical system to ensure compliance.
Driver first aid training s legal compliance while enhancing safety culture, reducing incident risk, and showing clear commitment to employee wellbeing, the campaign adds.
The campaign warns that employers could face serious legal consequences if they continue to overlook road risk. That message is echoed by Beverley Bell CBE, former senior traffic commissioner for Great Britain.
Beverley Bell CBE said: “Companies have a duty to train their employees and ensure they are competent and safe to carry out their role. If you employ drivers, the same applies.
“Work-related road safety is still not given the same gravitas as on-site safety. Given that driving is the highest-risk activity most people do in their job roles, this baffles me.”
That message is reinforced by Alison Moriarty, a highly respected UK fleet safety expert with over two decades of experience managing large fleets across both the public and private sectors, now managing director and head of compliance at Beverley Bell Consulting and Training.
Alison said: “Driving is a work activity – not ensuring your drivers are safe and legal exposes you to the same potential prosecutions as any other health and safety breach.”
The Driving Down Inequality campaign is calling for:
- Specific guidance from the HSE around driver competence and first aid
- Legal reform to make first response training mandatory for all professional and grey fleet drivers
Some organisations are already leading by example – including National Highways and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. The campaign is urging others to follow before more lives are needlessly lost.
David Higginbottom added: “We want to see equality in workplace safety. Drivers deserve the same protection and training as anyone else. Safer roads start with trained people – and that begins with employers stepping up and leading the way.”
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