FLEETS are being offered guidance on how to tackle employees who drive too fast or use mobile phones behind the wheel.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has produced the policies with support from the Department for Transport.

RoSPA bosses say driving is the most dangerous work activity for most people, with 20 deaths and 250 serious injuries every week for people driving, riding or using the road for work purposes. They add that business pressures encourage some fleet drivers to break the speed limit or make phone calls while on the move.

RoSPA head of road safety Kevin Clinton said: ‘Company car drivers often exceed speed limits in order to get to appointments on time, are less likely to view speeding as risky.

‘Company car drivers and people who drive high annual mileages for work are up to 50% more likely to crash than private motorists.’

The society said research showed that using hand-held or hands-free phones while driving distracts motorists and increases the risk of an accident.

Clinton added: ‘If we are to reduce the number of work-related road accidents, it is vital that employers have policies in place to deal with managing occupational road risk, including tackling inappropriate speed and mobile phone use.

‘These two documents will give employers an ideal starting point by providing ‘model’ policies for them to adapt for their own use.’

The new publications – Driving for Work: Safer Speed Policy and Driving for Work: Mobile Phones – are available from the Road Safety Department, RoSPA, 353 Bristol Road, Birmingham B5 7ST, or can be downloaded from RoSPA’s website at www.rospa.com/roadsafety