In the past, it has been left to road traffic law and the Highway Code to regulate behaviour on the roads, enforced by the Police. But many feel that if health and safety management principles coupled with measures to improve driver responsibility were brought to bear on this issue, there could a significant reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured. The day-long conference takes place at the Barbican Centre in London and is a key part of the Task Group's efforts to stimulate debate and find out what people think should be done by employers, their employees and others to prevent road traffic incidents. The afternoon syndicate sessions provide delegates with an opportunity to air their views. At-work road traffic casualties include those people driving for work purposes, passengers in vehicles on business, those working on or by roads and members of the public involved in incidents involving work vehicles.
Further work continues to identify causation factors.
When completed, a report of the findings will be published. It has been government policy that health and safety at work legislation should not be pursued where there is more specific and detailed law enforced by another authority. HSE's policy has been generally not to apply health and safety legislation to work-related road journeys, road design etc as it considered the safety implications of these matters were adequately protected by road traffic law, and its enforcement. Following a review of this policy, it was found that that was an enforcement gap in relation to employers' duties to manage the road safety implications of some work-related road journeys. HSE concluded that it wanted to do more in this area of risk but in partnership with others.