Fifty seven per cent of all new cars in the UK are registered as company cars and, driving over 19,000 miles per year, company car drivers travel nearly two and a half times more than private car drivers, according to the recently published IAM Motoring Facts 2008.
Highlighting the figures, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) Motoring Trust is calling on UK business to remember its responsibilities and ensure that anyone driving for work is up to the job.With around 20 people killed and 250* seriously injured every week in road accidents involving people driving or using the road for work, the IAM Motoring Trust’s message places safety as the number one priority.
“Around 75 per cent of work-related deaths are out on the road and around a third of all road accidents involve people who are driving for work,” according to Neil Greig, Director of the IAM Motoring Trust, “With statistics like that, employers must do all they can to make sure drivers using the road on their behalf are proficient and drive as safely as possible.When demands on those driving for work are set, managers must keep safety at the top of the agenda.The IAM always encourages companies to take a close look at employees’ driving skills and patterns.
“We welcome initiatives from Department of Transport and Driving for Better Business and feel strongly that the whole of UK commerce must adopt policies to guarantee people driving on business do so safely – for themselves and for all road users,” says Greig.
IAM Motoring Facts 2008 shows that:
Average CO2 emissions from new company cars have been falling faster than from private cars
more than half of company cars produce less than 170g/km CO2
average fuel consumption of company cars (35.1mpg) is much better than that of private cars (31.7mpg)
Half of all company cars are now diesel
While in Britain as a whole company cars account for just 9 per cent of all cars in Slough they account for 59 per cent!
IAM Motoring Facts 2008 brings together data from vehicle manufacturers, government bodies and trade associations.It is available to download at www.iamtrust.org.uk
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Notes to editors:
*The HSE guide to driving at work states that about 20 people are killed and 250 seriously injured every week in crashes involving someone who was driving, riding or otherwise using the road for work purposes.
It is estimated by ORSA (the Occupational Road Safety Alliance) that between 25 per cent and 33 per cent of road traffic collisions involve somebody who was using the road for work purposes. This means that in Great Britain between 800 and 1,056 people were killed, and between 7,238 and 9,554 were seriously injured, in work-related road collisions in 2005.
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Notes to editors:
A full copy of the IAM Motoring Facts 2008 is available at: www.iamtrust.org.uk
The IAM Motoring Trust is the research and advocacy arm of the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists).
