RoSPA Young Drivers at Work Report

Executive summary
Young drivers at work face, and create, a higher risk than
other drivers because they are inexperienced and because
driving for work is higher risk than driving for personal
reasons. Both young drivers and at-work drivers were
identified as priority groups in the second three-year
review of the road safety strategy.
With funding from the DfT’s road safety partnership grant,
and with the help of a working group including the DfT,
DSA, Buckinghamshire and Lancashire County Councils,
Birmingham City Council and Roadsafe, RoSPA conducted
a ‘Young Drivers at Work Study’ among employers who
have young staff (17-24 years) who drive as part of their
work and young at-work drivers themselves.
The ‘Young Drivers at Work Study’ was phase I of a
two-part project.
The study comprised individual interviews with employers
and managers of young at-work drivers, a questionnaire
survey of a wide range of employers, and a number of
focus groups with young drivers who drove as part of their
job. Chapter two outlines the methodology of the report.
The study explored whether employers, and young drivers,
thought that learner driver training, and the driving test,
provides young drivers with the knowledge, skills and
attitudes they need when driving for work (as opposed to
driving for their own private purposes). It also sought to
assess whether employers, and young at-work drivers,
would value and use additional ‘driving for work’
qualifications, and if so, what should be included in such
a qualification and the most suitable format(s) and
method(s) of delivery. A further aim was to match the
findings from the research onto the DSA Competency
Framework for Car and Light Van Drivers (hereafter
referred to as the Competency Framework). Although most
employers are not yet aware of the Competency
Framework, their responses could be matched to elements
in the framework.
Main findings
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60% of employers surveyed felt that the current
system of driver training and testing was ‘not at all’ or
‘not very’ adequate for preparing young drivers to drive
for work. 87% of employers who took part in more
detailed telephone interviews replied the same
Employers are not relying on the driving licence as
evidence of competence in driving for work.
Many conduct their own assessments before allowing
their employees to drive for work purposes
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Three-quarters of employers surveyed reported that
their young employees were driving in situations that
were not covered by the current learner test, for
example driving at night or in icy conditions
More than two-thirds of young employees are driving
vehicles for work which are larger than a car, and in
which they were not trained or tested when learning
to drive
More than half of employers surveyed would like to
see a post-test driving qualification introduced
Accident reduction and compliance with health and
safety legislation were the two main reasons why
employers would find post-test training useful
Developing safer driver attitudes, driving in different
conditions, enhanced hazard perception, and motorway
driving were the top issues employers would like a
post-test qualification to include. These were also
stated as inadequacies of the current test
Employers preferred training for a post-test driving for
work qualification to take place during work time.
They wanted the qualification to be accredited to a
national standard
External training needs to be flexible and adaptable to
the individual needs of organisations
Large-sized companies and non-commercial
organisations would have the capacity to provide
accredited driving training in-house. They could also
provide facilities for others if established as national
assessment centres
Personal and interactive training that young drivers
can relate to was considered the most effective
mode of delivery
Young drivers felt that passing the driving test was
the end of learning how to drive and that there is a
limit to what can be taught. Young drivers believe that
when they are driving in the ‘real world’ they learn by
making mistakes
Employers are using probation periods and restrictions
on what young drivers can initially do, in order to
structure their driving for work experience
Young Drivers at Work Report
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