Work-driving warning from Driver First Assist

A new campaign has been launched to warn that employers could face prosecution for failing to provide adequate training to staff who drive for work. While workers in fixed locations often receive first aid training and operate in environments where trained colleagues are on hand, millions of professional and grey fleet drivers are left without such support – despite the road being the UK’s most dangerous workplace.

The Driving Down Inequality campaign, led by the not-for-profit organisation Driver First Assist (DFA) and supported by Beverley Bell CBE, former senior traffic commissioner for Great Britain, shines a spotlight on the exclusion of millions of drivers from basic workplace safety measures. It warns that many employers exclude drivers from incident response and first-aid training simply because they are not based in a fixed location – leaving drivers unprotected and businesses exposed to legal and reputational risk.

David Higginbottom, chief executive Driver First Assist, said: “Employers have a legal and moral duty to protect their people, wherever they work. If you wouldn’t leave a warehouse or office team without first aid support, why is it considered acceptable for drivers?”