BRITAIN'S top police officers have joined the campaign to encourage companies to dramatically reduce their accident records. A conference aimed at reducing the excessive accident rate of company car drivers is being organised by the Association of Chief Police Officers.

The aim is to focus on the economic benefits to companies who adopt effective risk management strategies while meeting the national target of reducing road casualties. ACPO wants to bring together all the groups and organisations that have an input into the road safety question such as driver training groups, insurance companies, police officers, accident researchers as well as fleet managers. Among the most important contributors, it is hoped, will be those companies who have adopted risk management policies and can demonstrate the benefits.

The conference forms part of a national strategy introduced by ACPO called 'Joining forces for safer roads' which sets out methods for meeting the Transport Department's target adopted in 1987 to reduce road casualties by a third by 2000. The announcement of the conference is timely since the debate surrounding the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Bill which aims to make it easier for NHS trusts to recoup the cost of treating accident victims from insurance companies has refocused the industry's attention on the cost and safety benefits of risk management.

The road safety conference is planned to take place on March 23 at the Peel Centre, north London. The day will be divided into seminars, lectures and discussion groups. More details on 0171-230 0931.