Compulsory training for company car drivers?

The Department for Transport (DfT) is preparing a new road safety strategy that will require all at-work drivers to undertake a sustained programme of continuous driver training as part of the strategy to reduce at work road deaths.

This new strategy will be published in two years and will outline what the police, local authorities and Government will do to reduce road crash statistics.

The Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick has stressed that the DfT has a particular concern about at-work drivers who are involved in 16 fatal crashes every week.

"People who drive for work are involved in a third of all crashes," said the minister, indicating that further new initiatives will be announced that will directly target those who drive for work.

The current 10-year road safety strategy ends in less then two years and was criticised for not setting tough enough targets.

From September 2008 all drivers of passenger carrying vehicles will have to undertake 35 hours of refresher training every five years. This will be extended to drivers of commercial vehicles in September 2009. It may now be that similar legislation will apply to company car drivers in the future.

More Information?

If you require more information please call us on 01384 442233 or complete the form at Contact Us.