Driving for Better Business Supports Sussex's Investment in COSTS

28 March 2008

The Driving for Better Business Programme is delighted to support the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership (SSRP) COSTS programme. Following its successful bid for funding from the Department of Transport, the COSTS programme is set to tackle work related road safety across the region. Comprising of representatives from Sussex Police, West Sussex CC, East Sussex CC, Brighton and Hove CC, Highways Agency, HM Courts Service and West & East Fire & Rescue Service, the initiative aims to reduce the number of work related driving incidents leading to death and serious injury. 

In the most recent 3 years there were 901 business user KSI casualties which accounts for 30% of total KSI in Sussex. The primary objective for the COSTS programme is to reduce business use KSI's by 5% by April 2009. This equates to 45 KSI casualties.Further objectives are to increase the number of businesses with a robust ORR policy; raise business driver’s awareness of speed and antisocial driving and, through training, develop hazard awareness and defensive driving techniques. Wider community benefits are also expected as a result of achieving the objectives listed above as a result of the potential reduction in anti-social driving habits. The SSRP is committed to the project in the long term and this, together with the support / sponsorship of companies operating a policy and culture that supports road safety should engender long term change.

The project is intended to start in April 2008 coinciding with the implementation of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2008.The project will:

Enable the interrogation of information known to the SSRP with respect to offending drivers to help develop interventions aimed at reducing casualties.

Enable Sussex Police to use this information to contact those drivers and their employers with a range of enforcement and educational activity.

Develop driver awareness training product for business.It is intended that this may help to fund the provision of the scheme in the longer term.

Identify and build the business case, including relevant legal information for businesses to encourage them to develop and adopt a robust occupational road risk policy and road safety culture.

Enable road safety officers to meet with businesses to offer the material developed above and encourage their better involvement.Such business will be defined by their employee’s offences and through local business data.

Encourage those businesses that already operate a robust occupational road risk policy to support the project by sharing best practice.

Actively promote the project through the use of available media.

Properly evaluate the project and ensure appropriate dissemination of the results regionally and nationally.