Quarter of vehicle deaths at work involve reversing

Interactive Driving Systems said that with reversing invariably featuring as one of the top five collision types encountered by most organisations, it was essential that all fleet drivers exercised more care when performing the manoeuvre.

In a new paper, Interactive Driving Systems' research director Dr Will Murray said the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had recently estimated that nearly 25% of all deaths involving vehicles at work occurred when vehicles were reversing.

As a result he urged fleets to monitor such incidents - regardless of vehicle type or the severity of any subsequent damage - in order to identify any problems with reversing.

His paper highlighted a recent fatality involving a commercial vehicle that was reversing at the rear of a retail premises. It had later emerged that 38% of the company's vehicle accidents involved reversing, but that the average cost of each incident, up until the fatality, had been less than £300.

Training and site procedures had been improved since the fatal accident, but a life could have been saved if the problem had been noticed earlier.

'Common excuse'

Dr Murray said: "After reviewing a great deal of fleet crash data, we believe that all drivers must exercise greater care when reversing, especially fleet drivers visiting customer sites and homes as part of their daily activities.

"Because of the relatively low impact speed, many people don't regard reversing as a significant hazard. However, reversing and slow speed manoeuvring incidents make up a large proportion of fleet collision costs and risks."

Norwich Union's motor risk manager Bill Pownall said one simple intervention was for drivers to "take the longest route back to the steering wheel" when returning to their vehicle to check for any hazards or obstacles, even when they stop for just a short period of time.

"A common excuse we hear from drivers following a reversing incident is that the object they struck 'wasn't there when I pulled up'! Of course the time to check is when you're leaving, not when you first arrive.

"From this point of view I always advise car drivers to reverse into parking spaces whenever possible, rather than trying to reverse out later when conditions may have changed."

Bill added that drivers should follow a basic rule when reversing: "If you cannot be sure it is clear behind, get out and have a look, or get help from a competent person."

Will Murray's paper includes a sample audit to help identify possible exposure to reversing incidents. Aimed at fleet and safety managers, it is freely available by emailing will.murray@virtualriskmanager.net