4 in 10 road deaths in Europe could be work related

The recent European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) report, says that while the exact number is unknown, however, detailed analysis suggests that of the 25,671 lives lost on EU roads in 2016, up to 40% were work-related.

On the back of new figures which show road deaths in the European Union have not decreased in three years, ETSC says employers, national governments and the European Union must step-up efforts to tackle the problem of work-related road risk.

ETSC has identified ‘improved data collection’ as a ‘crucial first step’ - as many police forces in EU countries do not currently register the purpose of the journey when recording the details of a traffic collision.

ETSC also bemoans the lack of a standardised EU definition of a work-related road death, suggesting this leads to an ‘underestimation of the scale of the problem’.

Antonio Avenoso, executive director of ETSC said: “While there are some great examples of large and small organisations across Europe starting to take road safety seriously, there are thousands more that turn a blind eye to the risks their employees take every day on the roads.

“Many companies also wrongly see road risk management as a burden rather than an opportunity. But reducing risks through journey management, targeted training and purchasing safer vehicles can cut insurance costs, lead to less time off and boost a company’s image.

Contact UKGRS on + 44 (0) 1452 347332 (Kevin Packer) or +34 952 498 204 (Jane Sneddon) for information on how our driver training solutions can help reduce road deaths in your organisation.