Government wants your ideas on safety
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• The transport industry's views are being sought as part of a government discussion document which is designed to reduce the death toll on Britain's roads.
More than 40,000 people are killed or seriously injured on the roads each year, and the Work-Related Road Safety Task Group is seeking to minimise the risk to people driving for a living (CM1-7 March).
The group suggests that employers should be managing the risks to their drivers in the same way as they manage a range of risks that affect other employees.
Because road traffic law takes precedence over health and safety rules on the public highway, hauliers have never had to consider this before. Directors or companies could face prosecution if unsafe procedures were found to be the cause of an accident. Companies will be under pressure to implement policies on safe driving, such as banning drivers from using mobile phones when on the road.
Launching the document last week, chairman Richard Dykes said: "Members of the task group believe there is a strong social and moral case for action and sound business reasons for employers to do mare.
"While we need to find out more about causes, the figures tell us we must explore what can be done by employers and others to prevent road traffic accidents from happening in the first place."
• The document can be obtained from the Health & Safety Commission on 08701545500.