Council
workers who drive as part of their job are being urged to slow down as part of
National Road Safety Week which starts today.
The
Employers Organisation for local government (EO) is supporting the campaign,
calling on council drivers to watch their speed and drive more defensively.
Councils
rely on vehicles to deliver everything from crucial local services from refuse
collection to transporting elderly people to day centres and there are
thousands of employees on the road at any one time..
Many
council workers are required to use their own car as part of their job and , because
of the nature of the role, most are driving around residential areas where
children play.
Steve
Sumner, health and safety policy adviser to the EEO said: "Drivers should
plan their day to allow sufficient time to get to their destinations without
having to speed. They should ensure that diaries are not over-booked so they
don’t have to speed between visits."
He
also called on employers to ensure that private vehicles are properly insured
and roadworthy.
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