Work Vehicle Crashes Raise Serious Concern

The union GMB has highlighted the need for urgent Health and Safety Executive action following new statistics revealing the huge number of work vehicle crashes occurring each day on the UK's roads.

The Department for Transport (DfT) annual road casualty statistics, for the first time records the purpose of journeys, and shows work vehicles were involved in over 54,000 crashes in 2005.

The union, which represents retail delivery, road rescue service and mini-cab drivers as well as chauffeurs and couriers, said reporting rules should be changed so all serious work related road traffic accidents are officially recorded under the workplace accident reporting regulations, RIDDOR.

GMB said, "It would appear unlikely that at a time when the HSE is under threats of frontline job cuts and close scrutiny of their budget that they will be able to investigate work related driving deaths and serious accidents."

GMB national safety officer John McClean said: "At a time when the HSE claim that workplace deaths are at their lowest recorded level there is a concern among GMB members, many of whom drive as part of their daily work, that not enough is being done to ensure that they and others are safe on our roads. Long hours of working drivers, a lack of regular breaks and unnecessarily tight deadlines all lead to dangerous driving conditions in many occupations. There is a need for the HSE to investigate all work related deaths, including those on the road which are currently not part of the reporting regime."

The TUC, estimated in its March 2000 report 'Driven to death', that one in four vehicle drivers killed on the road died whilst at work, making driving Britain's most dangerous job. These deaths are not included in official work fatality figures.

Source: GMB, Risks.

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