RoSPA has developed a free online toolkit to help employers organise their own in-house workshops aimed at young employees who drive as part of their job.
The launch of the online resources marks the final stage of the safety charity’s two-year Young Drivers at Work project, funded by the Department for Transport.
Designed to be led by fleet, human resources or health and safety managers, or by road-safety professionals, the workshops address a range of issues raised by both employers and young drivers in a study conducted at the start of the project, as well as covering some of the common causes of accidents.
Participants are encouraged to discuss their own experiences of driving for work and to identify if their personal driving habits can lead to unsafe situations, in addition to covering issues such as deadline pressures, unfamiliar vehicles, and travelling to new locations. With good journey planning a particular focus of the session, participants are also tasked with discussing and developing safer driving strategies, and exploring how their employers can help them.
The workshop discussions can also act as a gauge to how well an organisation’s work-related road safety policies are put into practice by those employees who drive for work.
RoSPA’s road safety manager for England, Duncan Vernon, said: “We know there can be considerable financial pressures in the workplace, particularly in smaller firms, and the Young Drivers at Work resources have been made freely downloadable so they reach as many people as possible.
“Road safety is a responsibility best shared between employers and employees and we hope the workshop will help honest communication between them. Ultimately, we hope the legacy of the Young Drivers at Work project will be fewer road accidents, meaning fewer people are killed or injured on our roads, and businesses are able to avoid the costly losses that accidents bring.”
The workshops are suitable for groups of 10 to 15. The online toolkit, which consists of an activity guide and facilitator’s notes, including guidance on how to evaluate a workshop, is available at www.rospa.com/roadsafety/youngdriversatwork
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