Work Drivers Cause 25% of Deaths

People driving for work account for at least 25% of fatal road traffic accidents, new figures suggest.

Road safety charity Brake said Department for Transport statistics show that last year there were 858 deaths and 6,622 serious injuries in crashes involving people driving as part of their jobs.

But it added the actual figure may be even higher as it believes these collisions are being under-reported by police.

Jools Townsend, head of education at Brake, said: "It's shocking that so many people are killed or hurt due to at-work driver crashes - and the reality could be even worse than these statistics suggest.

"The Government must ensure a more stringent approach to collecting data on at-work crashes, so we can fully understand the extent of the problem."

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "We are determined to reduce the number of deaths involving those driving for work.

"Earlier this year we launched our first Think! Driving For Work campaign, which was aimed predominantly at van drivers and highlighted the real dangers that arise from distractions - such as eating and drinking, reading maps or talking on a hands-free phone while driving."

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