THE road safety charity Brake is calling for employers to adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards staff who drive for work after drinking or taking illegal drugs.
The call follows the key findings in a report produced by Brake for employers of at-work drivers:
- Less than half ever test employees for alcohol or drug consumption while they’re at work;
- 44% of employers would dismiss an employee found over the legal limit for alcohol;
- 62% would take disciplinary action against employees found to have consumed alcohol or illegal drugs while at work but only 30% would dismiss employees for the offence;
- Fewer than half of employers educate drivers on the risks of drug-driving with only slightly more offering training on drink driving.
Drink-driving accounts for 1 in 6 road deaths in the UK and Brake has previously found that at-work drivers are particularly susceptible to driving while over the limit simply because they may believe they have no choice other than to drive even if they’ve consumed too much alcohol the night before.