Road Safety Survey Reveals Extent Of 'Preventable' Deaths
Some 30 people are killed every week on the UK's roads, a recent survey from the TTC Group has revealed – ten of them while driving for work purposes.
The driver education organisation found that although road deaths are at their lowest recorded level, there were still nearly 200,000 casualties and 1,713 people killed on the roads last year.
One-third of these were people driving for work, including not only professional drivers such as taxi, coach and delivery operators, but also people driving to meetings or appointments.
According to research, company drivers who drive more than 80 per cent of their annual mileage on work-related journeys are 50 per cent more likely to have an accident, compared with drivers who do no work-related mileage.
The TTC Group says the majority of road deaths and injuries are "entirely preventable". It has reminded employers that they have a legal duty to institute a Driving for Work policy for all employees, and urged them to implement more safe driving training ahead of Road Safety Week (November 17th to the 23rd).
If you or a loved one has been involved in a road traffic accident, our personal injury claims team could help to get the compensation, rehabilitation and support you deserve. Visit our Road Traffic Accident Compensation page for more information.
Expert Opinion
These figures are massively concerning and highlight – in the same manner as new government figures showing an increase in road deaths and injuries – how there is much to be done to improve road safety. <br/> <br/>"Too many people are killed and injured every year on the roads and it is particularly worrying that many are those driving for work purposes. It is vital that employers do everything they can to ensure that those driving on their behalf are kept safe from potential harm, whether that is through improved education or training for such workers. <br/> <br/>"Any number of deaths and injuries on the road is too many, so steps must be taken to tackle the issue." Stephen Nye - Partner