Selwyn Cooper, head of business sales, Volvo Car UK, looks at whether driver training should be a rite of passage for company car users.

There are an estimated three million company cars on the roads, and around a quarter of all miles travelled in the UK are for business. However, when you drill down further into the statistics, they present an alarming picture. According to figures quoted by the Trade Union Congress (TUC), around one in three company car drivers will be involved in an accident each year, and between 700 to 800 people are killed annually in work-related road traffic accidents. This is not insignificant, and any scale of staff incident can prove costly for a corporation in terms of the resulting insurance and legal claims, absenteeism, aside from the loss of productivity and income.

The long-standing Health and Safety legislation states that employers have a duty to ensure the protection of the wellbeing of employees at work, and this encompasses travelling on business. Equally as important, other road users should also not be put in danger from work-related driving activities. A comprehensive risk assessment should therefore be carried out so as to ensure that people have the right skills, knowledge and experience prior to taking to the wheel, in order to reduce the occurrence of injury or death as far as possible. This will then determine the most effective measures to put in place by the individual employer before staff go out on the road. None of these are prescribed by the law, and there are many different programmes available, which can, for example, take the form of classroom-based teaching, E-learning and driver training.

The most distinct advantage with the latter, is that nothing actually substitutes being in the car itself, and employees physically undertaking a practical assessment. This allows them to learn first-hand how to identify and actively avoid hazards, in addition to the most economical and safest driving behaviour, all under the guidance of expert tuition. The benefits are far-reaching: heightened awareness, reduced driver fatigue, stress, and wear and tear on the car, lower fuel costs, and fewer ‘sick days’, to name but a few ‘pluses’ of such an initiative. This presents a strong argument for this type of course to be high up on the list of priorities when introducing a risk reduction policy for individuals doing work on the road. Also, just as critical as the initial classes, is ongoing assessment, i.e. refresher sessions, which helps avoid the onset of bad habits, whilst maintaining the effective perception and management of dangers.

Although driver training clearly presents many positives, implementing such a programme needs to be carefully considered so as not to have a negative impact on staff morale. When introducing such a scheme, some employees may feel that it is questioning their driving ability, or even see it as the equivalent of re-taking their test. Therefore, it is essential that these concerns are allayed as early on as possible.

With the above factors considered, it is the responsibility of every company to determine the most effective way of managing work-related safety and reducing risk according to their needs, whilst also ensuring that legal obligations are met. However, let us not forget that the underlying aim of all of this is to make sure that every member of staff is safe and fully armed with the best possible skills and knowledge when out on the road.