Driving for work is one of the greatest risks faced by employees, yet it can still receive less attention than hazards found in a traditional workplace…
New figures for 2025 demonstrate the scale of the issue, with 445 people killed in collisions involving somebody who was driving or riding for work.
That means work-related collisions were connected to almost three in every ten road deaths recorded across the UK during the year.
The Scale Of Work-Related Road Risk
In total, there were 22,871 reported collisions involving at least one working driver or rider during 2025. That represented 23% of all police-reported collisions.
Although the total number has fallen from the 36,472 work-related collisions recorded in 2015, the proportion of collisions involving somebody driving for work has remained relatively consistent.
There were also 6,460 people killed or seriously injured in work-related collisions during 2025, including members of the public as well as those travelling for work.
Among those casualties were 1,183 pedestrians who were killed or seriously injured after being hit by a working driver or rider.
This is an important distinction because work-related road risk does not only affect the employee behind the wheel. It also creates risks for passengers, pedestrians, cyclists and every other road user they encounter.
Which Vehicles Are Most Commonly Involved?
Cars were the most common type of vehicle being driven for work in injury collisions, accounting for almost 29% of recorded cases. This is significant because discussions around occupational road risk can sometimes focus primarily on vans and larger commercial vehicles.
In reality, many employees drive ordinary cars for appointments, meetings, site visits and other business journeys. This includes grey fleet drivers using their own vehicles for work.
Vans represented nearly 23% of the vehicles involved, while buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles also featured prominently.
The figures reinforce the need for businesses to consider every employee who drives for work, not only those traditionally viewed as professional drivers.
There are still questions surrounding the accuracy of work-related collision figures, though.
Whether a journey was being completed for work is not always recorded consistently following an incident and estimates may therefore need to be made using the vehicle involved and the available journey information.
This means the true scale of occupational road risk could be different from the official total.
Improved reporting would make it easier to identify patterns and understand whether factors such as fatigue, workload, scheduling, vehicle condition or driver behaviour contributed to a collision.
What Should Fleets Do?
Regardless of how reporting requirements develop, businesses cannot afford to wait before addressing the risks faced by their drivers.
Regular licence checks, driver risk assessments, vehicle checks, clear journey-planning procedures and appropriate training can all help create a safer operation.
Businesses should also consider the pressures placed on drivers. Unrealistic schedules, excessive mileage and insufficient breaks can increase risk even when the employee has a clean driving record.
Risk Monitor and Fleet Monitor help fleet operators bring this information together, identify emerging concerns and take action before those concerns develop into serious incidents.
The latest figures are another reminder that managing people who drive for work is not simply a fleet administration task. It is a fundamental workplace safety responsibility.
