Fuel Card News Motoring Updates: Brake urges fleets to crackdown on drink and drug driving

Employers with staff who drive are being urged by the road safety charity, Brake, to help stamp out drink and drug driving by taking a zero tolerance approach.

According to a survey carried out by the road safety charity, nearly six in 10 fleets still do not test drivers for alcohol and 63 percent don’t test for illegal drugs. 

Statistics show drivers with just a small amount of alcohol in their system are at least three times more likely to crash, and 17 percent of drivers killed on UK roads have traces of illegal drugs in their system, making testing even more important.

To help fleets tackle these road risks, Brake has a dedicated, not-for-profit road safety site, the Fleet Safety Forum, to provide management advice, tools and resources, as well as organising low-cost events.

A summer enforcement campaign carried out by the police saw 83,000 drivers being stopped and breathalysed in June, with 5.8 percent testing positive – only a marginal drop from last year.

Julie Townsend, Deputy Chief Executive at Brake, said: “It is crucial fleet professionals understand the risks and best practice in tackling these, and are taking all possible steps to eradicate drink and drug driving within their workforce.

“Brake’s Fleet Safety Forum is providing up-to-the minute information and guidance to help organisations do this.”

In other news, almost two-thirds of drivers say the cost of motoring is a bigger worry than paying their rent or mortgage, according to a poll by Auto Trader.

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