RoadSafe to Launch New Three-Year Plan to Drive Forward At-Work Road Safety

LONDON – April 14, 2009: An increased drive to raise greater awareness among public and private sector fleets of the business benefits of pro-actively managing occupational road risk is to take place with Government backing.

RoadSafe, the automotive industry-backed forum for promoting and devising solutions to road safety problems, has been awarded a new three-year contract to deliver the Department’s for Transport’s driving for work outreach programme.

Winning this contract is recognition for the work RoadSafe has already completed with the original outreach programme, which saw the organisation launch the ‘Driving for Better Business’ campaign.

Central to the work which has included the establishment of a network of some 12,000, has been the recruitment of 23 high-profile safety-focused ‘business champions’ – companies and organisations fro across the public and private sectors which are keen to showcase their own good practice, with the aim of encouraging others to adopt sound safe driving management policies.

‘Business champions’ include: Arval UK, Balfour Beatty, BT, Cambridgeshire County Council, Centrica, Gateshead Council, LeasePlan UK, Northgate, Scottish and Southern Energy, Tesco.com, T-Mobile, TNT Express, Whitbread and Wolseley.

The new programme will include:

The recruitment of more ‘business champions’ and the enhancement of the network of other organisations, such as trade associations, to promote the business benefits of at-work driving safety

The launch of a high-level steering group, which is to be chaired by John Lewis, chief executive of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association

The launch of a stakeholder forum, which is to be chaired by Rob Gifford, executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety

Some 200 road deaths and serious injuries a week result from crashes involving at work drivers with more employees killed and seriously injured on Britain’s roads while driving on behalf of their employer than in any other work-related activity.

Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: “We are determined to reduce the risks that people who drive for work face on the roads.

“A growing number of organisations are realising that managing these risks is good for their staff and for their business. The ‘Driving for Better Business’ campaign has played a key role in this and we are grateful to the wide range of business people who have made a commitment to spread this message. I look forward to seeing the campaign expand and reach even more business leaders over the next three years, making our roads safer for everyone.”

Caroline Scurr, director of the ‘Driving for Better Business’ campaign, said: “Our ‘business champions’ can prove that reducing the number of crashes involving at work drivers saves thousands and, in the case of large fleets, millions of pounds. In addition, cutting the carnage improves business efficiency and the image of an organisation.”

With the economic downturn forcing companies to focus on every aspect of cost management, Ms Scurr said: “Effective management of those who drive for work is an important element of general management - if it isn’t addressed properly, the negative impact on profit can be very significant.

“All of our ‘business champions’ have reduced their costs significantly, and, by focusing on this important element of management, employee well-being and safety have been improved. The result is a high level of legal compliance and a measurable improvement in business efficiency with savings that go straight to the bottom line.

“Their business plans are a real-world testimony to the success of policies which impact costs and reduce both road incidents and risk exposure.

“The business and employee advantages of effective management of those who drive for work are there for all to see. We will be driving home those benefits with organisations across Britain in the next phase of the campaign.”

The high level ‘steering group’ of senior business representatives will provide an independent challenge to the team responsible for delivering the campaign to ensure maximum impact across larger companies and the public sector.

Mr Lewis said: “The group will be composed of company directors that have successfully implemented work-related road safety initiatives in their sphere of business. We will be using their influence and knowledge to help encourage more organisations to develop their own occupational road risk management measures particularly during the current economic climate when this may have slipped down the agenda.”

Apart from Ms Scurr, who reports to RoadSafe director Adrian Walsh, that team also includes Michael Parish, director of operations; Ed James, communication managers; who are currently supported by Nicola Griston, communications assistant.

Meanwhile, the stakeholder forum, will be composed of representatives of organisations drawn from the ranks of the Occupational Road Safety Alliance (ORSA), which include police forces and road safety organisations

Mr Gifford said: “I am delighted to have been asked to chair the stakeholder forum. It will build on the work of ORSA in establishing joint working and sharing information across the road safety and health and safety sectors. It will bring together key organisations of national standing to promote work-related road safety and to lower the risk of collisions and injuries on our roads.”