Many people are required to drive considerable distances as part of their employment. This can create a number of circumstances in which personal injuries can occur and which in turn may give rise to a claim for accident compensation.

Road traffic accidents are perhaps the most obvious risk facing individuals who drive at work and employers should ensure that an employee does not have to drive excessive hours so that they are fully alert whilst driving their vehicle.

Drivers of heavy goods vehicles and some other commercial vehicles have tachographs fitted to ensure that they take regular breaks. This does not apply however in many other occupations where a large amount of driving is required as part of the job.

Vehicles used for work should be regarded as work equipment and as a consequence an employer should ensure that the vehicle is safe for its intended use and in particular that it can be driven safely by each individual required to use it.

This may require ergonomic assessments to ensure that the vehicle provided is appropriate for the individual and that driving for long periods of time in a particular position will not cause injury.

Advice and training may be necessary regarding the way in which the seat and steering wheel are set up just as with any other work station.

High sided vehicles such as lorries should be loaded in such a manner to ensure that the vehicle itself is stable and there is no increased risk of tipping over when cornering or driving on exposed roads.

Many employees will be required to load and unload materials from their vehicles and appropriate steps should be taken to ensure that manual handling activities are undertaken safely.

Employers should ensure that weather conditions are suitable for driving and take appropriate steps to warn employees where this may not be the case.

Suitable training should also be provided to ensure that drivers can appreciate when weather conditions may become hazardous.

Similar considerations will apply to employees driving buses, trains and other forms of transport.

At Sintons our personal injury specialists have a wealth of experience in pursuing successful compensation claims arising from accidents whilst driving at work.

All personal injury claims are pursued on a No Win No Fee basis so you can rest assured that there is no financial risk.

To begin a personal injury compensation claim or obtain further advice with no obligation contact Sintons 24/7.