Why driver risk profiling is an essential step in meeting your duty of care obligations

For organisations whose employees drive as part of their work, managing occupational road risk is both a legal obligation and a business imperative. A robust assessment of drivers' behaviour, attitudes and experience is an essential early step in identifying risk and meeting compliance responsibilities.

Driving is the most dangerous work activity that most people undertake, creating risks not only for employees but for everyone who shares the road. According to Department for Transport data, around a quarter of all reported road collisions each year involve someone driving for work, with an estimated 445 people killed in collisions involving a working driver in 2025, representing 29 per cent of all road fatalities.

While 1,703 people were killed or seriously injured while travelling as part of work in 2025, there were 4,757 deaths or serious injuries among non-workers in collisions involving someone travelling for work, including 1,183 pedestrian casualties.

The DfT acknowledges that information relating to the purpose of a journey is often not recorded following a collision, meaning these figures are likely to underestimate the true scale of work-related road risk.

Road user behaviour is a commonly recorded road safety factor that contributes to the cause of collisions. Recent DfT statistics identified behaviour or inexperience, speed, and distraction or impairment as the three most common road safety factors in collisions during 2025.

Understanding your legal responsibilities

Health and safety law applies to all work activities, including driving for work.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 places a legal duty on employers to protect employees and others from risks arising from their work activities. Meanwhile, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to conduct a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks to both employees and anyone else who may be affected by their work.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is clear that employers must manage the risks associated with driving for work. Its guidance for employers on driving for work advises organisations to assess drivers' capabilities and competence and ensure that they receive appropriate information, instruction and training.

Identifying driver risk

In its guidance, Driving for Work: Driver Assessment and Training, RoSPA recommends that driver assessment and training form part of an organisation's wider road risk management strategy.

Organisations should assess not only driving ability, but also the attitudes, behaviours, knowledge and decision-making processes that influence safe driving.

Drivers present different levels and types of risk. Factors such as mileage, journey type, vehicle use, driving experience, age and individual characteristics can all influence collision risk. Identifying which drivers may be more vulnerable to risk, and understanding why, enables organisations to deliver the most appropriate interventions and support.

For employers, driver risk assessment can also deliver wider organisational benefits. By identifying high-risk behaviours early, organisations can target training and support more effectively, helping to reduce collision rates, vehicle downtime, insurance costs and associated reputational risks. A proactive approach can also demonstrate a commitment to employee wellbeing and road safety.

Why assessment comes first

While many organisations recognise the need to manage occupational road risk, identifying which drivers require additional support and understanding the factors that contribute to unsafe driving can be challenging. This is where structured assessment tools can play an important role.

An effective starting point is to use a driver assessment tool that measures competence, knowledge and attitudes. Such assessments can help identify gaps in understanding, highlight areas of elevated risk and provide documented evidence of the steps taken to assess and manage driver safety.

Driver Profiler is an online driver risk assessment tool designed to identify attitudes, behaviours and knowledge that can influence collision risk. Developed through research conducted by two leading UK universities, it provides organisations with a structured and evidence-based approach to assessing driver risk.

Driver Profiler is supported by RoSPA's long-standing expertise in accident prevention and road safety. For more than a century, RoSPA has worked to reduce deaths and serious injuries through policy development, education, training and practical road safety initiatives. The organisation's involvement in grant-funded road safety programmes across the UK provides valuable insight into the changing risks facing drivers and helps ensure that its guidance remains firmly grounded in evidence and real-world experience.

The Driver Profiler assessment considers a range of factors associated with driver risk, including psychometric analysis of personality traits and how they may influence behaviour behind the wheel, alongside an evaluation of knowledge relating to safe driving practices and road safety principles.

Drivers receive personalised feedback, helping them understand their strengths as well as any areas that may require improvement. The assessment also provides practical guidance and recommendations that can support safer driving behaviours and encourage positive long-term change.

Designed specifically for drivers who operate vehicles for work, Driver Profiler supports organisations in meeting HSE expectations around assessing driver competence and managing occupational road risk. By providing objective insight into driver behaviour and risk, it helps employers take a more proactive approach to fulfilling their compliance and duty of care responsibilities.

As a fully online solution, Driver Profiler can be completed with minimal disruption to day-to-day operations. The flexible format reduces time away from core duties, while offering a cost-effective alternative to more resource-intensive assessment methods.

Building a safer driving culture

Whether used during recruitment, as part of an induction programme or within a wider fleet safety strategy, driver risk assessment provides organisations with valuable insight into the factors that influence safe driving.

By identifying risks early and providing appropriate support, employers can better fulfil their duty of care obligations while helping to create safer journeys for employees and all road users.

Driver Profiler offers a practical, evidence-based way to begin that process, enabling organisations to move beyond assumptions and take a more targeted approach to managing occupational road risk.