§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport(Mr. David Jamieson)The Government's Road Safety StrategyTomorrow's Roads—Safer for Everyone set out ten-year targets for reducing road traffic casualties and recognised that more could be done to reduce the risks for those who use the roads for work purposes. A Task Group was set up by the Government and the Health and Safety Commission in May 2000 to consider ways to reduce at work road traffic incidents. The Task Group reported in November 2001. They concluded that existing health and safety law adequately covered work-related on-the-road activities and that there was no need for any new legislation. However, one of the Group's key recommendations was that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) should publish generic guidance to help employers manage at work road risk.
Today the HSE, in partnership with the Department for Transport, has published a free booklet "Driving at Work—Managing Work Related Road Safety". There will be a small charge for bulk orders of the document to cover postage and packaging. It is also downloadable from the HSE web site http://www.hse.gov.uk/ without charge. The booklet contains generic advice on managing work-related road safety effectively and on integrating it into existing health and safety arrangements. The guidance will be useful to any employer, manager or supervisor with staff who drive or ride a motorcycle or bicycle at work.
The Department is arranging for over 48,000 copies of the booklet to be issued to road safety, local authority, police, employer and employee interests. Effective management of work-related road safety will help reduce the risk to employees and to other road users, including pedestrians. I hope that all employers will follow the simple guidance set out in the booklet and that the benefits from raised road safety awareness at work will also improve standards of private motoring.
Copies of the booklet are being placed in the Libraries of both Houses.