EMPLOYERS are being warned about the risk of being held liable for car accidents if they fail to carry out proper risk assessments when a worker drives.
Mace & Jones personal injury lawyer Jeremy Bradshaw said that up to a third of the 3,000 people who die a year in road traffic accidents involve somebody who is at work at the time.
He said: “Employer risk assessments should cover the journey from start to finish.
“Care should be taken to ensure that employees are briefed to take regular breaks on long journeys, reducing the risk of driver fatigue. Workloads and schedules should be reasonable, allowing sufficient travel time.”
Employers who provide company vehicles should not rely on just having a valid MoT as a safety assessment, he said, adding that young drivers could also need specific training.
