Occupational road risk — also described as work-related road risk — is the risk that arises when employees drive or ride on the road as part of a work activity. It covers employees driving company cars and vans, and employees using their own vehicles for business purposes.
HSE guidance is explicit that health and safety law applies to work activities on the road in the same way as it does on a fixed site, and that employers must manage health and safety risks to workers who drive as part of a work activity.
Health and safety law applies to work activities on the road in the same way as it does on a fixed site.
Why it is treated differently in practice
Most work activities take place somewhere the employer controls: a site, a depot, an office, a workshop. Work-related driving is different in three ways that make it harder to manage, and easier to leave off a risk register.
- It happens away from the workplace, so it is rarely directly observed.
- It happens in an environment the employer does not control, alongside other road users.
- It is so routine that it is often treated as travel rather than as a work activity.
The three areas employers are expected to consider
HSE frames work-related road risk around three areas: the journey, the driver or rider, and the vehicle. A credible approach considers all three rather than concentrating on one.
The driver or rider
Competence, licence entitlement, health, eyesight, fatigue and attitude. This is the area where practical assessment gives the most direct insight, because it looks at how someone actually drives rather than what they hold.
The vehicle
Whether the vehicle is suitable for the task, whether it is maintained and roadworthy, whether loads are secured, and whether drivers have a straightforward way to report defects.
The journey
Routes, distance, scheduling, time pressure, weather and rest. Scheduling decisions made in an office can create risk on the road hours later.
What this means for an employer
As part of health and safety arrangements, employers are expected to carry out a risk assessment, and work-related driving falls within that expectation like any other significant work activity. What the arrangements look like will depend on the organisation: the number of employees who drive, the vehicles involved, the mileage covered and the nature of the journeys.
Professional driver assessment and development can form part of a wider approach to managing occupational road risk. It is not a substitute for vehicle maintenance arrangements, journey planning, a driving-for-work policy, licence checking or incident review — it sits alongside them and provides the driver-side evidence.
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.