YOUNG people are not equipped for driving at work, says the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
To address the issue, the safety organisation is developing free workshops.
These workshops will tackle issues uncovered in a major study of the problem. To streamline the programme, the safety charity is now looking for 10 businesses which employ young drivers to pilot the Driving for Work workshops.
The sessions have been specifically designed to help employers better equip and protect their staff aged between 17 and 24-years-old.
But the pilot is not just for big firms. RoSPA is also offering opportunities for smaller businesses to send their young employees to workshops. Firms with one or two young drivers will be able to benefit from the training.
A RoSPA Young Drivers at Work study found 60% of employers felt the current system of learner training and testing did not adequately prepare young people to drive as part of their job.
Young people who drive as part of their work – whether to make deliveries, as part of a sales team or simply to drive passengers around a site – face, and create, a higher risk than other drivers.
Figures show that young motorists are more at risk of being killed or injured on the roads than more experienced drivers. One in three crashes in the UK involves a vehicle being driven for work.
RoSPA will initially pilot 10 interactive workshops. These are designed for 10-15 young drivers, from July until October.
After the pilot workshops, RoSPA will use feedback to develop free training guides. Employers can then run similar events for their own young driving staff.
The workshops will cover issues raised by employers who took part in the Young Drivers at Work project survey. These include the differences between driving for work and what is covered in the learner test.
Duncan Vernon, RoSPA road safety manager, said: “It is clear that further support is needed for young drivers at work. Employers have indicated they prefer face-to-face workshops as a way of giving that support.
“The Driving for Work workshops have been developed to go some way towards bridging the clear skills and training gap highlighted in our report, which was published earlier this year.
“Many young drivers are currently required to drive in a context for which they are not adequately prepared, and these workshops offer a chance to address some of the issues they face.
“Journey planning, hazard awareness and the causes of work accidents will be examined, as will ways of influencing the attitudes of young drivers,” added Duncan.
Further information
Small businesses interested in taking part in the workshops should contact Duncan Vernon at [email protected] or 0121 248 2078.
See www.rospa.com/roadsafety/youngdriversatwork/ for full details of the Young Drivers at Work project, which is being funded by the Department for Transport.
There’s further comment in the Editor’s Blog Take advantage of free driver training
Benefit from RoSPA-developed free workshops
