Public and private companies hiring drivers should only choose companies with driver risk management policies in place, road safety charity IAM Roadsmart has argued.
 
The organisation listed this proposal among a list of 'manifesto' ideas for improving road safety in Britain, with a key theme being partnerships between different organisations working towards the common goal of better road safety.
 
Its plans would certainly affect the fleet sector, with IAM arguing that the Health and Safety Executive should have a bigger role in enforcing safety on the roads as a place of work for professional drivers.
 
The manifesto also includes a range of proposals to make the roads safer for everyone using them, from compulsory eye tests for drivers aged over 75 to a 12-month minimum learning period for new drivers and a reduction in the drink-drive limit in England and Wales to match that of Scotland.
 
It also cited distraction as being a key safety issue, with a call for "legislators, car makers, social media and smartphone companies to work with road users on practical solutions," and said councils should aim for a minimum three-star risk rating for their roads.
 
IAM RoadSmart Chief Executive Officer Sarah Sillars said: "The UK has one of the best road safety records in Europe, but still 1,730 people a year are killed. We believe by working together with government and the road safety 'industry' we can deliver a step change in road safety and significantly reduce the fatalities and injuries which occur daily on our roads."
 
While the launch of 'manifestos' concerning single issues coincides with the party political manifesto launches as the general election looms, not all of these concern the UK alone.
 
Earlier this week, another road safety charity Brake backed the launch of a global manifesto aimed at improving road safety around the world.
 
However, this did have some themes in common with the IAM manifesto, including emphases on tackling drink driving and better regulation of workplace road safety.
 
Ben Robb, brand manager at The Fuelcard People, comments: "It is important that Britain defends its remarkable road safety record as much as possible and companies can play their part by focusing on driver risk management policies."