Risk Assessments

There are three main areas of risk to assess in relation to managing occupational road risk:-

The Vehicle

The Driver

The Journey

Vehicles

Factors affecting the risk in relation to the vehicle will include:-

Is the vehicle owned by the company or the driver?

Is the vehicle serviced and maintained by a main dealer?

What is the age of the vehicle

What is the vehicle’s engine size and power

Does the vehicle have Anti Lock Brakes (ABS)?

Does the vehicle have Electronic Stability Control (ESC) fitted

(or equivalent)?

Does the vehicle have airbags fitted, and how many?

What is the vehicle’s EuroNCAP score?

Drivers

Factors affecting the risk in relation to the driver will include:-

How old is the driver?

How many years has the driver held a UK driving licence?

How much experience does the driver have, i.e.mileage driven?

What type of experience does the driver have?

Town? City? Rural? Motorway?

What is the driver’s crash history?

Does the driver have any motoring convictions?

When did the driver last have their eyesight checked?

Is the driver on any medication?

Has the driver suffered from any serious illnesses?

How many units of alcohol does the driver consume in a week?

Does the driver smoke?

Has the driver received any driver training or assessment?

Does the driver commute by car? If so how much time does it take?

Journeys

Factors affecting the risk in relation to the journey might be assessed in general, for the typical journeys that a particular driver will make, or sometimes for a specific journey, factors will include:-

What is the mileage driven per year?

What is the usual journey type? Motorway? Urban? Rural?

What is the average time spent driving per day (including commuting)?

What is the average length of the working day?

How much time is spent driving very early in the morning?

How much time is spent driving very late at night?

How many locations are visited in one day?

What is the length of breaks taken during the day (not working or driving)?

Is the journey necessary?

Can a phone call, a video conference, or some other means of communication make the journey unnecessary?

Is the journey best made by road?

What type of roads will be used?

Can vehicles and therefore the driving be shared?

How long is the working day?

Is it appropriate to have a long drive, followed by a full day of work, and then a long drive home?

Is an overnight stop more appropriate?

What time of day will the journey be made?

Is the expectation of travelling time realistic?

Is a driver being expected to make to visit to many locations in a day?

Is there sufficient time available for breaks?