Journey risk is decided by scheduling decisions, appointment density and distance expectations — usually made away from the road, hours or days before the driving happens. HSE guidance treats planning and managing journeys as a distinct area employers should address.
Where fatigue comes from
- Long total working days, of which driving is only part.
- Very early starts and late finishes, particularly on rotating shifts.
- Driving after physically demanding work rather than before it.
- Monotonous motorway driving, especially in the early afternoon.
- Insufficient rest between shifts, including commuting time.
It is worth noting that driving time is often the least visible part of a working day. An employee scheduled for eight hours of work may be committed to eleven hours once travel is included.
Questions worth asking about scheduling
- Can today’s schedule be completed within speed limits and with realistic allowance for traffic?
- How many appointments or drops are planned, and how much of the day is travel?
- Is there a limit on daily distance or driving hours, and is it applied?
- Are rest breaks built into long journeys, or expected to be found?
- What happens if the schedule slips — is the pressure absorbed by the driver?
- Could a journey be avoided altogether, or made by another means?
Drivers’ hours rules
Specific drivers’ hours rules apply to certain vehicles and operations, and where they apply they set requirements rather than good practice. Many car and van fleets fall outside those rules, which means the organisation has to set its own limits — the absence of a specific rule is not the absence of a risk.
Adverse weather and the right to decline
Two things make a practical difference: a clear position on who decides whether a journey goes ahead in poor conditions, and a genuine understanding among employees that declining or rescheduling an unsafe journey is supported. A right to decline that exists in a policy but not in practice tends to be visible in assessment findings as rushed, pressured driving.
Please note
Information on this website is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. For advice on your organisation’s specific duties, consult a qualified health and safety practitioner or legal adviser and refer to current HSE guidance.