Road safety charity Brake has welcomed the publication of new guidelines on safe driving for professional drivers from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).

In updating its Driving at work: managing work-related road safety guidance, the HSE has set forth a blueprint for how companies can help to reduce the likelihood of their drivers being involved in serious and potentially life-threatening accidents, with the new guide now free to download from the HSE website.

According to figures from Brake, more than one quarter (26 per cent) of road casualties in the UK involve an at-work driver and therefore targeting this group is high on the agenda in terms of helping to improve levels of road safety across the UK for all.

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive at Brake, said: "Driving is the riskiest activity most employees engage in, and a huge proportion of devastating road casualties involve someone who's driving on company time.

"It's therefore essential that organisations with staff who drive for work are aware of the simple, low-cost steps they can take to protect their drivers and the public."

She added companies should ensure their risk management policies and practices are regularly updated in line with best practice and that firms across the UK could benefit by reading these renewed guidelines from the HSE.

Not only does a company-wide policy on road safety help to save lives, it can also improve staff morale and reputation, as well as helping businesses cut costs.

Overall, road safety and the proper training of staff should be a top priority for every business with at-work drivers, as failing to do so can lead to tragic events that impact countless people's lives every year.

The organisation's support for the new HSE publication comes in addition to Brake's own 'Essential guide to fleet safety', which it recently published in partnership with the Department for Transport.

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