Transport Research Laboratory: Assisting the update of INDG382 – Vehicle technologies

Sourced from: Transport Research Laboratory – Update of INDG382 to include vehicle safety technologies

Executive Summary – Background Aims

Compared to driving for other purposes, driving for work can be considerably riskier, as it is more likely to involve time pressure, distractions and fatigue. Additionally, changes in working conditions (e.g. the ‘gig economy’), and vehicle fleet (such as more delivery vans and two-wheeled vehicles) are adding to existing risks.

In the United Kingdom, the health and safety requirements apply to driving for work and other road-related activities; hence organisations are expected to approach work-related road safety (WRRS) as they would approach other health and safety issues. However, this responsibility is often one that employers are unaware of, and can be overlooked. In response, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Department for Transport (DfT) have created INDG382:’Driving at work: managing work-related road safety‘ The study below has gathered findings from current research and experts that may be added to INDG382, concerning vehicle safety technologies. These research enquiries are the questions it aims to address:

• Can technology be effective in improving safety in fleet contexts? If so, how?
• What are the important traits of these systems that are coming up from the evidence? Does evidence of these systems causing distraction exist?
• How do these innovations impact different fleet types and high-risk driver groups differently?
• In what ways can these approaches be incorporated into the ‘Plan, Do, Check, Act’ (PDCA) system to manage and monitor work-related road risk?