An interactive Driving for Work Policy Builder to help companies running fleets tackle their legal responsibilities has officially launched in the UK.

Over a quarter of UK firms whose employees drive for work have no policy

Developed by Driving for Better Business (DfBB), a free-to-access government-backed National Highways programme, the free tool enables companies to create a legally compliant document to help protect them and their employees.

Latest research by DfBB finds that over a quarter of UK firms whose employees drive for work have no policy, and more than a quarter have not reviewed their policy in the past three years.

That’s despite the fact that driving for work is statistically the most dangerous activity employees undertake. Up to a third of all road traffic incidents involve someone who is driving for work at the time – accounting for some 500 fatalities and almost 40,000 injuries a year.

All reputable employers must have a driving for work policy that will stand up to scrutiny in the event of a crash. The law requires all those who drive on the public highway to be adequately and appropriately insured. This means that any person driving, even occasionally,  in connection with their employer’s work must be covered for ‘business use’.

Proof of a driving for work policy that meets legal and compliance standards is also increasingly becoming a requirement when tendering for new work – and DfBB says it’s seen a rise in online searches where users were looking for guidance on safe operation of employees out on the road.

The new, free, Driving for Work Policy Builder delivers a template to create a legally compliant document that can be adapted to a company’s own needs and shared with all employees.

Simon Turner, campaign manager for Driving for Better Business

It’s aimed at all operators – including those looking to create a policy from scratch, along with fleets looking to ensure their existing policy is water-tight and meets the required legal and compliance standards.

Users also get regular updates on latest legal and compliance issues and an automatic reminder to review their policy in 12 months – enabling them to focus on their day-to-day role, without worrying about missing any legal responsibilities.

Simon Turner, campaign manager for Driving for Better Business, said: “Our Driving for Work Policy Builder has the potential to deliver a huge positive impact on how employers think about driver safety – especially those, and there are many, that currently have no driver policy at all. It will help employers create, review, and update their own policy and it will cover all the key relevant risks for managing policies, drivers, vehicles and journeys.

“With a template and checklist, it covers all the key risks of most fleets, and can be adapted to individual companies.”

To sign up for the new Driving for Work Policy Builder, please click here.