Driving for Better Business (DfBB) has launched a new online gap analysis tool to help organisations manage those who drive for work.

The new tool will enable employers to identify any areas in their current risk and safety management practices that are missing or could be improved. It will also highlight what activities are a minimum standard for legal compliance, in line with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance, as well as demonstrating what leading employers and regulators would consider to be good practice.

The online gap analysis tool assesses four main areas of work-related road risk. The DfBB say each of these are essential to determine which areas of the driving for work policies need improving:

1. Senior management’s understanding of work-related road risk, as well as the operational processes and procedures that need to be in place to manage risk effectively

2. Necessary checks that drivers are eligible and competent to drive for work

3. The standards and systems companies have in place to ensure all vehicles are safe and legal

4. External pressures may affect driver’s ability to complete a journey safely

The launch of the new tool provided by the government-backed Highways England programme comes off the back of research commissioned by the DfBB that highlighted concerns that could be identified by the new gap analysis tool.

More than half (53%) of directors surveyed were found to misunderstand a vital area of their legal responsibilities around employees who use their own cars for work. 41% of companies had no Driving for Work policy, a basic requirement that sets out the procedures to ensure drivers behave safely and vehicles are roadworthy. Of the 59% that did have a policy, some had not included awareness of the policy in the staff induction process for drivers.

The research also found that 29% of companies couldn’t say exactly how many drivers they had and 62% of employers said they did not check whether individuals using their own car for business were correctly insured, 30% of drivers said they weren’t insured for business journeys.

One in four leaders were failing to check for a valid driving licence of their employees, a legal requirement and one in six employees who drove for work (17%) said they have been involved in an incident when driving for work due to a phone call from a colleague.

Simon Turner, campaign manager for Driving for Better Business, said: “The research shows that many businesses are unaware of the steps they should be taking to effectively manage work-related road risk and not all executive directors fully understand their legal responsibilities for managing staff who drive for work.

“The good news is that better management of those who drive for work can bring significant benefits in terms of reducing risk, controlling costs and enhancing efficiency. On top of that, it can also reduce environmental impact and improve driver wellbeing. In short – it makes good business sense all round.

“With our new gap analysis tool, safety professionals can easily identify where improvements can be made, along with free resources to help fill any gaps.”

You can find more about the new online gap analysis tool here.