Two in five employers are failing to provide adequate mental health support for their drivers, new research suggests.

The survey of 500 UK commercial vehicle drivers, commissioned by Geotab, found that half of respondents feel uncomfortable approaching their employer to support them with stress and other mental health issues.

More worryingly, 39% of those surveyed said their employer provided a low level of support or worse for managing stress and other mental health issues.

Failure to provide the appropriate level of assistance can have a major impact on the safety of drivers and other road users, as well as the company’s bottom line.

The vast majority (90%) of van and truck drivers said work-related stress had a negative impact on their driving, according to the survey. Half of the drivers also said they considered quitting their jobs because of it.

Risk of collision increasing

Almost all 500 UK commercial vehicle drivers surveyed (97%) reported that the risk of collisions had increased over the past five years, which is supported by real-world data.

Geotab found that the total distance per collision driven by UK truck and van operators fell by almost a fifth (19.12%) in 2023, from 920,000 miles to 740,000 miles.

For a large UK company operating a fleet of 1,000 heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) each driving 75,000 miles per year, the 2023 data could represent an additional 20 collisions annually.

“The results of this survey are a stark reminder of the stress of driving for a living, and we feel it is our collective duty to raise awareness of the potential impact on drivers and other road users,” said Edward Kulperger, senior vice president at Geotab . EMEA.

“Commercial vehicle drivers keep our economy moving and have been under increased pressure following the Covid-19 pandemic and the massive increase in home and business deliveries.

“It’s worrying to see how drivers feel unsupported when it comes to managing stress and other mental health issues.”

A special report on driving a safe fleetproduced by Fleet newsbidder help and advice on introducing an employee assistance program to help improve driver mental health and wellbeing.

Road safety week

Geotab has published its findings before Brake’s Road Safety Week, which runs from November 17-23. This year’s theme is After the accident – Every road victim counts.

The road safety charity has chosen to put road casualties at the heart of this year’s campaign to raise awareness of the devastating toll of road accidents and celebrate the work of the incredible number of people who come together every day to support families after a road death. or serious injury.

More than 3,300 organizations and individuals have already signed up to participate Road safety weekwhich gives employers and fleets free access to resources to help them reduce their road risk.

Brake invites fleets to participate in a free program Webinar for Road Safety WeekWednesday, November 20, 10 a.m.

The webinar asks, “If one of your employees was involved in a serious accident, would you know what to do?” and will explore the importance of post-accident investigation to prevent future harm and why support for road victims is so important.

Speakers include: Ross Moorlock, CEO of Brake, Dan Campsall, Chairman of Agilysis, Mark Cartwright, Head of Commercial Vehicle Incident Prevention at National Highways, Lisa Malone, Risk Consultant at Aon and Nicola Lester, Clinical Consultant at Psychological Trauma Consultancy.

Moorlock will also join Fleet news in order to free webinar sponsored by Athlon on Thursday 21st November at 2pm to mark Road Safety Week. It will look at how fleets can develop a comprehensive risk and compliance policy.

The the session will provide best practices and helpful tips for building a safety-first culture within your organization to effectively engage drivers to ensure buy-in for training and behavioral improvement programs.

It will also cover the critical role of root cause analysis in identifying the underlying factors behind incidents and highlight how technology and data management can help fleet managers increase compliance and reduce accidents.

Panelists include: Lesley Slater, Commercial Director at Athlon; Colin Hutt, Fleet and Environment Manager, Clarion Housing Group; Sarah Armitage, Business Support Manager, Network Rail; and Daniel Fisher, Fleet Services Manager, Lancashire County Council.

Geotab will also be hosting its own webinar during ‘Road Safety Week’ to shed light on the pressures facing UK commercial vehicle drivers and the kind of action employers can take to make their lives easier and to reduce stress. ‘Road Ready: Mind & Bodytakes place on Wednesday, November 20, at 1 p.m.

Find out from Fleet news how to minimize costs and keep drivers safe with a robust accident management strategy.