Work-related road accidents in the UK

Research has revealed that one of the most dangerous things that people do at work is drive and that driving jobs are now up there in the work-related accident stakes with the quarrying and construction industries.

Road accident rates for company car and van drivers are 35-50% higher than they are for private vehicle drivers and, while it is imperative for all drivers to take care when behind the wheel, those that drive for a living should take extra care to avoid having accidents at work.

Delivery drivers, taxi drivers, bus drivers and those that work for the emergency services are among those that spend the longest hours in their driving seats. Even the most experienced drivers are at risk from other motorists who are speeding, drink-driving or acting recklessly and driver fatigue has a habit of sneaking up on the best of us.

Obviously, the longer that you spend on the road the more susceptible you are to sustaining personal injuries or being involved in a fatal accident. But if you are harmed while working, even if you are behind the wheel, you may still be within your rights to make an accident at work claim.

Work-related road accident records
During March 2005 a decision was made to keep official records of the number of work accidents which occur on British roads. Police attending road accident scenes are now required to report whether the vehicles involved in accidents were driven by professional drivers. This information can then be used to warn employers of the dangers that their drivers face so that they improve health and safety standards in the workplace and in turn avoid the opportunity for accident at work claims to be made against them.

On hearing the news, Charles Davis, RoSPA's head of driver and fleet solutions said, "We think this will prove once and for all that this is the biggest work-related safety issue facing the country.

"If that is the case, serious consideration will have to be given to a Health and Safety at Work Act Approved Code of Practice on driving for work, so that companies understand they will face legal action if they don't meet their responsibilities.

Both the Health and Safety Executive and the Department for Transport have issued employers with guidance about work-related road safety, emphasising the need to carry out risk assessments and introduce driver training schemes such as ROADTest.

ROADTest (RoSPA Occupational Advanced Driving Test) is designed to increase the awareness and skills of those that drive for a living and reduce their chances of being involved in work-related accident by up to 25%. The test includes a hazard perception assessment along with a theory and practical test which will lead to a BTEC accredited driving qualification. For more details see www.rospa.com.

Making a work-related accident claim today
If you have been involved in an accident at work and would like to seek injury compensation then you have come to the right place because YouClaim are the accident at work claim experts.

We have a team of personal injury specialists dedicated to helping those that have been harmed in non-fault accidents to gain the compensation that they rightfully deserve.

We are associated with a panel of personal injury solicitors who work on a no win, no fee basis and we promise that your work accident compensation case won't cost you a single penny, whether you win or lose. Also, we won't deduct any of your compensation for ourselves so everything you are awarded is yours to keep.

To start the work-related accident claim process today drop us a call back request so we can back to you at a convenient time, fill out one of our online assessment form with all your accident claim details or give us a call on our 24-hour helpline, 0800 10 757 95.