Launch of the first Workplace Road Safety Days

From Tuesday 9 to Friday 12 May, the French Road Safety Authority (Sécurité routière), ran its first Workplace Road Safety Days to discuss and take action to prevent workplace road risks. For this event, “company managers, directors of public service organisations, and directors of human relations were invited to organise road risk awareness operations in the workplace for their employees in the private or public sector”. The road safety authority provided all managers with “internal mobilisation kits”, adapted to the needs of each: revision of the road rules, driving tests, video screenings, etc.

All causes combined, road accidents account for 3% of workplace accidents, but over 20% of fatalities, according to CNAMTS (National sickness benefit fund for salaried workers). Consequently, road risks are the number one cause of workplace fatalities, hence the human and economic importance for companies; indeed almost 600 companies have signed up for the National call for companies to promote road safety launched on 11 October last by the French ministers for the Interior and Labour.

According to the 2017 Barometer survey of responsible driving, 63% of French workers still feel tired when they get behind the wheel in the morning (72% for under 35-year-olds). Similarly, one out of three answer professional telephone calls while driving; a rate that rises to 53% for men.

These first Workplace Road Safety Days were scheduled to coincide with the World Road Safety Week organised by the United Nations, and which this year focused on a speeding.

More information:

• Sécurité routière – 1^e édition des Journées de la sécurité routière au travail pour échanger et agir contre le risque routier professionnel (1st Workplace Road Safety Days to discuss and take action to prevent workplace road risks) (in French only)
• VINCI Autoroutes Foundation – 7th Barometer survey of responsible driving (in French only)