Communicating work-related road safety messages

A project to develop an information source for those with responsibility for staff driving at work is described. The guidance is explicitly targeted at managers with the power to implement change and not at drivers. Phase I includes the development of the resource in a user-friendly format on the basis of existing information while Phase II aims to evaluate the resource in terms of implementation or improvement of (existing) work-related road safety management systems. Qualitative research was carried out with managers and drivers. The business sectors covered in the overall samples include courier services, logistics companies, energy providers, laundry / cleaning services, supermarkets, construction / manufacturing businesses, print media and vehicle recovery. Drivers were, on the whole, unsure about the existence of safety policy that covered driving at work or the completion of risk assessments in relation to the journey, the driver or the vehicle. All drivers reported driving licence checks at the start of their employment. The frequency of subsequent checks ranged from every six months to no further checks. Driver assessments ranged from annual to non-existent. Dangerous behaviours among drivers included speeding, eating, drinking or reading maps while driving, use of mobile phones and driving while tired or ill. Courier drivers frequently perceived a dominance of profit over safety. Perceived challenges in driving at work typically included: driving in unfamiliar environments, driving under time pressure, driving long hours, driving in busy traffic, poorly maintained work vehicles, and adjusting to unfamiliar vehicles. The interviews with managers showed that they considered safe driving important but often did not have sufficient resources to manage the risk properly. Managers of small to medium sized enterprises were often unaware that they were required to have a written safety policy. Accident recording was often very poor. Problems were reported in convincing employees driving at work that driver assessment, training or monitoring would not be measures directed against them and in persuading senior management of the benefit of directing resources towards driving safety. Internet-based safety information was preferred when it was supplied tailored to the organisation's requirements. The development of a work-related road safety CD-ROM is described. For the covering abstract see ITRD E138063.