Employers have a duty of care to protect company drivers and the public, says TTC
Following the publication of new analysis of data from the Department of Transport (DfT) which reveals that drug driving collisions have increased by 170% in less than a decade1, driver training and compliance expert TTC calls time on fleet managers and businesses who are failing to adjust their moral compass. It says that businesses operating grey, company car and commercial fleets who are burying their heads in the sand, need to take a responsible, proactive approach to reducing the risk of drug driving and instil change.
Andy Wheeler, Training Manager at TTC comments, “It is widely recognised that it is the responsibility of fleet managers and companies to ensure their drivers are fit to work, that includes driving for work. And if someone is under the influence of drugs, recreational or medicinal, they are unfit to drive. With drug driving significantly on the increase, employers must underscore its socially unacceptable dangers. Making sure drivers are properly informed, acknowledge and respect a company-wide policy that includes drug screening and are willing to undertake training is vital. By taking a dignified, responsible approach to awareness and behaviour change, employers can positively influence their employees’ lifestyles in and out of work.”
As winter and the festive season fast approaches, TTC reminds businesses and employees that last December the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) reported that 49% of roadside drug tests conducted were positive, compared to 9.5% of breath tests for alcohol. TTC says it’s clear that while the legal implications of drink driving are widely understood, the consequences of drug driving are woefully unrecognised.
Andy Wheeler, continues, “The fact that almost half of drug driving tests last December were positive represents a potential and staggering 675k fleet drivers2 that were on our roads, driving at risk to themselves and others. The latest DfT data also reported that road fatalities linked to drug driving increased by 164% in less than a decade3. Whilst many in the fleet sector are positively addressing the challenge of drug driving, unless we take a unified stand, the DfT figures are sadly only likely to rise.”
