Those who drive for work ‘more likely’ to engage in dangerous driving behaviours

New data from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) shows that eight per cent of drivers killed and 12 per cent of drivers seriously injured between 2018 and 2022 were driving for work.

The RSA’s Driving for Work webinar gets underway today and hears from a number of experts on managing risks to employees who drive for work, including work-related fatigue, and offers advice on the topic of creating safe driving for work practices.

Figures are provisional and subject to change, eight per cent represents 25 fatalities and 12 per cent represents 275 serious injuries.

Driving for work can also pose risks to fellow workers and vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists.

The RSA’s analysis also revealed that between 2018 and 2022, 23 per cent of drivers involved in fatal collisions were driving for work and 19 per cent of drivers involved in serious injury collisions were driving for work.

Survey research from the RSA in 2021 found that those who drive for work are more likely to engage in dangerous driving behaviours including speeding, drink-driving, driving while fatigued and not wearing a seatbelt.

It found that 92 per cent of drivers who drive for work report regularly wearing a seat belt when driving, compared to 97 per cent of all drivers, for example.

Thirty per cent of drivers who drive for work have fallen asleep or nodded off behind the wheel, compared to 24 per cent of all drivers.

A 2021 observational study also found that 75 per cent of Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers exceeded the speed limit on 100km/h roads, where the speed limit for HGVs is 80km/h, and almost 30 per cent exceeded the speed limit on motorways, where the speed limit for HGVs is 90km/h.

A study of mobile device usage by drivers of various vehicle types, conducted in 2022, found that nine per cent of HGV drivers observed were using their mobile phone while driving.

Fatalities on Irish roads are the highest they have been in six years.

As of 11:59pm on 20th November, there have been 168 fatalities in 2023, 35 more than during the same period in 2022.

Approximately seven in 10 fatalities this year have occurred on rural roads, with a speed limit of 80km/h or greater.