On the opening day of the show, outgoing Transport Minister David Jamieson attended to help launch the BVRLA’s new guide, ‘Driving at Work’, which aims to present best practice in three areas – the driver, the vehicle and the journey – in clear, simple and unambiguous terms.

Introducing the launch of the guide, BVRLA chairman Brian Back said: ‘The guide meets more than just the immediate requirements of health and safety legislation. The Health and Safety Executive has already said that it has to leave enforcement of the appropriate legislation to the police, who of course only act after an incident has happened.

‘We’re working to prevent that incident in the first place. So, the guide is about both employers and employees taking a responsible attitude towards their own safety and the safety of other road users with the guide giving independent, objective advice on safer drivers, safer vehicles and safer journeys. We have no axe to grind, no commercial advantage to claim.

‘Our primary purpose in publishing the guide is to reduce the toll of casualties among people driving at work and other road users.’

The minister welcomed the guide and said it had been estimated that up to one third of all road traffic accidents involved someone who was at work at the time.

That meant up to 1,000 deaths each year.