The Driving for Better Business initiative formally launched in 2007 and was developed when the Secretary of State for Transport put the spotlight on how employers could be encouraged to give a higher priority to road safety, for those who drive for business purposes. A key recommendation from The Motorist’s Forum was to appoint a network of employer champions from public, private and voluntary sectors. Those champions would help raise awareness of the importance of work-related road safety in the business community and public sector.
Head of Regulatory and Corporate Defence, Jeremy specialises in occupational road safety and advises businesses on the current legislation around key driving related issues including driver fatigue. Talking at a recent health and safety event in Harrogate Jeremy explained: “There is greater need than ever for businesses to seriously think about issues such as ‘driver fatigue’ and how it directly affects their employees during both working hours and also on the commute home. A number of recent and current investigations show that the police and HSE will be jointly investigating accidents with a view to including not only the employee who was driving, but also the employer, in any subsequent prosecution. Company directors and other senior employees could find themselves in the dock facing not only large fines but also a prison sentence following the increase in penalties under the Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008, which has only recently come into force.”