One in three UK road fatalities occur in driving for work collisions

31 December 2020

A new study on behalf of RoadSafe and Highways England says there is a lack of attention to work-related road safety by policy makers, with one in three of UK road fatalities occurring in driving for work collisions. We at Marshall Minibus leasing are committed to keeping our customers up to date with the latest road safety news and trust you find this information useful.

The research, Driving for work: A strategic review of risks associated with cars and light vans and implications for policy and practice, was conducted by UCL and Agilysis and focused on the van, company car and grey fleet sector.

It showed that more deaths occur from work related road trips than in the workplace, including those of more dangerous industries such as construction, farming and mining. 

Key statistics from the report include: 

• In 2018, 520 people died in driving for work collisions
• 12% (63) of these deaths were working drivers or riders
• 5% (25) were passengers of a driver, driving for work
• The other 83% (432) were road users not driving for work.

These figures compare with 144 fatal non-car and van related workplace accidents in the year 2017/2018. 

It is also estimated that 39% of pedestrian fatalities in 2018 occurred in driving for work collisions – on average 11 pedestrian deaths a month.

Nick Starling, chair of the Transport Safety Commission Work Related Road Safety Forum said “Vans and drivers are not subject to the same strict regulation of driver training, drivers’ hours restrictions and roadworthiness testing as HGVs and buses/coaches, while the number of vans on the road and people working in the gig economy continues to rise.

“This report highlights the importance of stakeholders across all sectors working together to understand and manage the risk better.”

Head of strategic safety at Highways England Stuart Lovatt said “This report will support the objectives of our Driving for Better Business Programme which aims to raise awareness of work-related road risk to business leaders and their drivers.”

Professor Nicola Christie from UCL Transport Studies said “Our research shows that people who drive for work pose a serious risk to others, especially pedestrians.

“This is a worrying situation because of the rise in van traffic and last mile deliveries as we increasingly shop online, particularly since the start of the pandemic.

“There is a clear role for the Government to lead on initiatives to bring the management of risk to the attention of employers and the self-employed and reduce this burden to individuals and society.”

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