Daily commute: a matter of life and death
A lot of work has been done to tackle the risks associated with driving for work. But there is still a lot to be done, says East Midlands Trains’ Richard Lavelle.
In the mid-90s, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents began campaigning for the management of occupational road risk. At that time, they calculated that driving 25,000 miles a year for work is one of the most high-risk activities we can undertake – equivalent to the risk involved in industries like construction and quarrying. This is because people who drive for work are exposed to deadlines, fatigue, and unsociable hours.
As a nation, we travelled 328 billion vehicle miles in 2022, with over 135,000 casualties from road traffic. The most recent government statistics show 1,711 fatalities in reported road collisions. Meanwhile, there were 123 work-related fatalities nationally in 2022. The numbers have been falling over the last 40 years and remain at an all-time low (if figures from Covid lockdowns are excluded). Still, road risk remains significant.
While commuting is obviously different from driving for work, rail staff are still exposed to similar risk factors. Many rail jobs require a 24/7 presence, with shift work being a fact of life. Being able to avoid the rush hour jams might be a bonus, but travelling at unsocial hours of the day carries its own risks.
A few years ago, we asked drivers at a safety brief: ‘When do you apply non-technical skills?’ Many answered, ‘The evening before a shift.’ The feedback showed drivers applied the non-technical skill of self-management ahead of booking on times. They ensured that their sleep was well planned, work bag packed, and weather conditions were checked.
All of us at East Midlands Railway were devastated to lose a much-loved team member who lost their life travelling to work.
So, what can you do to stay safe when travelling to and from work?
Make sure your car is well maintained and safe to drive. No one would take out a train that hadn’t been prepped, but how often do we check basics like tyres, brakes, and oil, or ignore that warning light for something like a defective airbag?
Be prepared and always allow extra time to get to work, especially during autumn and winter.
Check to see if there are major public events on your route like football games or concerts.
Check the weather forecast for your area the evening before your next turn of duty.
Check local travel news before setting out.
If you are going to be late, pull over somewhere safe and ring in as soon as possible.
Cover the windscreen the night before if frost is forecast.
Carry warm clothes in case you break down.
If you’re tired, sleep. Don’t drive when fatigued, employing tactics like rolling down the window or listening to music to stay awake.
These are simple precautions that you can take to stay safe on your journey to work, but sometimes the risk remains. All of us at East Midlands Railway were devastated to lose a much-loved team member who lost their life travelling to work.
Did you know that two railway people were killed on the roads during 2022/23? On 16 February 2023, a staff vehicle was involved in a collision with a lorry near Shipston-on-Stour. The staff passenger suffered major injuries; the staff driver was sadly killed. On 2 September 2022, another member of staff was killed when their taxi was involved in a collision near Dover.
That’s two too many in anyone’s book. But it’s worth reflecting that – in both cases – the causes were listed as unknown. If we are to stop as many road accidents as possible, then we need more information on how they happened. On the railway, we investigate, report, recommend, and track.
The rail industry Road Risk Group is working to improve reporting of road-related incidents as well as the capacity to investigate road vehicle accidents. A Road Traffic Collision (RTC) investigation toolkit has now been published, aimed at helping trained accident investigators carry out effective RTC investigations and report their findings. It also contains useful resources for driver managers, organisational leaders, senior managers, and company road risk champions.
Such investigations may highlight the risks from commuting. We still have a duty of care to make sure staff get home safely. If the task they were performing prior to heading home increases fatigue, the risk goes up and we need to keep tabs on that.
Check out the RSSB's resources on fatigue management.
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