Experts are calling for new laws to be introduced to prosecute businesses and employers if they fail to provide first aid training to employees who drive for work.
The Driving Down Inequality campaign, spearheaded by not-for-profit organisation Driver First Assist and backed by the former Senior Traffic Commissioner for Great Britain, highlights a stark disparity in workplace safety provision.
Whilst office-based staff routinely receive first aid training and work alongside trained colleagues, millions of professional and grey fleet drivers are denied this basic safety measure.
This is despite roads being Britain’s most hazardous workplace, with one in three road fatalities involving someone driving for work.
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Experts are calling for employers to take action and protect workers before they hit the road
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The campaign warns that excluding drivers from safety training simply because they lack a fixed workplace leaves both employees vulnerable and employers exposed to legal and reputational consequences.
David Higginbottom, CEO of Driver First Assist, said: “Employers have a legal and moral duty to protect their people, wherever they work.
“If you wouldn’t leave a warehouse or office team without first aid support, why is it considered acceptable for drivers?”
Data from the Department for Transport shows that Britain’s roads claim five lives daily on average, with hundreds more injured.
The campaign highlights how one in three road fatalities involves someone driving for work
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Health and Safety Executive data reveals that one in five serious injuries on the roads involves someone driving for work.
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers must assess workers’ health and safety capabilities and competence, according to HSE guidance.
Despite this clear legal requirement, many businesses remain either unaware of their obligations or lack practical systems to ensure compliance.
Beverley Bell CBE, former Senior Traffic Commissioner for Great Britain, reinforced the campaign’s message about employer responsibilities.
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The road safety advocate added: “Companies have a duty to train their employees and ensure they are competent and safe to carry out their role. If you employ drivers, the same applies.
“Work-related road safety is still not given the same gravitas as on-site safety. Given that driving is the highest-risk activity most people do in their job roles, this baffles me.”
The campaign is calling for specific guidance from the HSE regarding driver competence and first aid, alongside legal reform to make first response training mandatory for all professional and grey fleet drivers.
Several organisations are already setting the standard, including National Highways and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
The group has called on the Government to introduce new rules to protect those who need to drive for their jobs
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Alison Moriarty, Managing Director and Head of Compliance at Beverley Bell Consulting and Training, echoed these concerns.
“Driving is a work activity – not ensuring your drivers are safe and legal exposes you to the same potential prosecutions as any other health and safety breach,” she said.
Driver First Assist’s training programme, developed with police, fire and ambulance services, helps employers bridge the gap between on-site and on-the-road safety provision.
David Higginbottom added: “We want to see equality in workplace safety. Drivers deserve the same protection and training as anyone else. Safer roads start with trained people – and that begins with employers stepping up and leading the way.”
