New safety guidance for 'gig economy' couriers

 

 

RoSPA has launched new guidance aimed at helping self-employed gig economy workers, such as couriers and taxi drivers, stay safe on the road.

The main topics covered are the importance of maintaining bicycles and motor vehicles, how to avoid experiencing fatigue while on the road, and how to drive and ride safely in the dark.

“The nature of work is changing, with the growth of digital platforms giving rise to new ways of working beyond traditional shift patterns,” Nick Lloyd, RoSPA’s Head of Road Safety, said.  “With this in mind, safety advice must also keep pace.

“Driving is one of the most dangerous activities that most of us will ever do, and driving for work tends to be riskier than driving for private reasons.  People who drive professionally are more likely to crash, even after their higher mileages are taken into consideration.

“Our hope is that by providing tailored guidance to gig economy workers, we might be able to help avoid incidents on the road.  We also want to see a move away from a relentless targets-driven culture which can lead to unsafe workloads, cause fatigue and result in collisions.”

According to Government data, in 2018 around 4.4% of the UK adult population had done some work in the gig economy within the past 12 months – equivalent to some 2.8million people.

You can download the Driving & Riding for Work in the Gig Economy factsheet at https://www.rospa.com/media/documents/road-safety/factsheets/driving-for-work-gig-economy-guide.pdf