Road risk conference set to become annual event

Representatives from some of Staffordshire’s major businesses and organisations attended a one-day conference to raise awareness of the need to develop a policy for managing risk on the road.

The conference, hosted by Staffordshire County Council’s TravelWise Road Safety Unit in conjunction with RoSPA, took place at Shugborough Hall on 12 February.

"It is well documented that a large number of people are killed or seriously injured while engaged on a work related journey, either in a company vehicle or their own car," said Alan Prosser, senior TravelWise RSO. "Government figures indicate that company car drivers have accident rates 30-50 per cent higher than for comparable private drivers and this risk increases the more road miles an individual does.

"Most companies are well aware of their obligations under the Health & Safety at Work Act, but there is some confusion as to how their duty of care extends to driving while on company business," he added.

David Kidney, MP for Stafford and co-chair for PACTS (Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety), opened the conference and gave delegates an overview of the Government’s ten year Road Safety Strategy, and in particular its relevance to work-related transport.

RoSPA’s Dee Arp gave an insight into the complex area of H&S legislation and the need to extend this to cover journeys made by people in relation to their work.

20 Staffordshire based organisations were represented and took the opportunity to share their ideas and experiences with regard to road risk and transport policies. While many companies had policies of safe systems of work linked to their driver fleet in place, most delegates admitted that the conference had given them much to think about.
The organisers consider the day to have been a success and hope to make it an annual event.

Further information about this article can be obtained from Adrian Hide or Paula Hardwick, TravelWise Road Safety Co-ordinators, 01785 276615/6