Accurate data to clearly identify at-work driving duty of care failings by public and private sector organisations must be compiled by the Government.

That’s the view of ACFO, the UK’s premier organisation for fleet decision-makers, in its submission to the Department for Transport, which has been conducting a nationwide consultation on a new road safety strategy set to be introduced from 2010.

Various studies have led to the Government estimating that up to 200 road deaths and serious injuries a week result from crashes involving at work drivers, with more employees killed and seriously injured on Britain’s roads while driving on behalf of their employer than in any other work-related activity.

Latest Department for Transport figures reveal that in 2008 a total of 2,538 people were killed and 228,367 injured in 170,591 road accidents.

While, the number of road deaths and injuries are reducing it is estimated by the Government that around a third of all casualties are the result of road crashes involving at-work drivers - a figure totally disproportionate with the number of vehicles on the road being driven on business.

As a result, ACFO says in its response to the Department’s consultation document - ‘A Safer Way - Making Britain’s Roads the Safest in the World’: “Fleets stand accused - on fairly flimsy statistical evidence - of being overrepresented in accident and casualty figures. This has significant implications for organisations for potential input into the corporate manslaughter arena.”

With no detailed and comprehensive figures on at-work driving related road crashes available, ACFO says: “The overall road safety strategy should provide an accurate sub-strategy for driving at work/management of on-road risks, which is fair and unambiguous.

“A clear, stable, well-defined performance indicator is definitely required: the proper identification of at-work casualties to ensure that an effective and accurate picture is built up, of the real extent of duty of care failures among the fleet community.”

The Government has given the green light for Nottingham City Council to become the first authority in the country to introduce a workplace parking levy (WPL).

The charge, which is being introduced amid protests from local businesses, will come into force in April 2012. That is later than originally scheduled with the council bowing to the Government’s calls for the ‘parking tax’ not to be introduced until the economy is in a healthier state.

The cash raised from the levy will be used to fund an extension to the city’s tram network, support the £67 million redevelopment of Nottingham’s railway station and maintain the Link bus network, which transports people to and from some of the city’s major employers.

In the run-up to the introduction of the levy it is proposed that businesses will need to be licensed, at no charge, from October 2011.

Under the scheme, any firm with more than 10 staff parking spaces will be charged £180 a year for each. The cost could rise to £350 within two years. Employers may pass the cost on to their staff.

An estimated 40,000 commuters in Nottingham drive to work and some businesses have threatened to quit the city is the scheme is introduced.

Councillor Jane Urquhart, Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for transport and area working, said: “The fact that we have over two years before the WPL is implemented gives us the opportunity to work with businesses to help them develop more sustainable transport policies, encourage behavioural change and reduce congestion, which has a significant impact on business.”

It is understood that a number of other councils have already expressed an interest in following Nottingham’s lead. They include Milton Keynes, Exeter, Cambridge, Oxford. Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield.

Voluntary road pricing schemes, where Vehicle Excise Duty or fuel duty may be traded for per-mile charges should be developed by the Government, according to a report by an influential committee of MPs.

The House of Commons Transport Committee says in its report ‘Taxes and Charges on Road Users’ that ministers should make a coherent decision on whether to pursue road charging projects, which have been repeatedly rejected at a local level.

However, voluntary road pricing schemes would, says the Committee, facilitate complementary systems, such as pay-as-you-drive insurance, and would help build a new consensus for how to curb congestion.

The MPs also make it clear that the Government must improve the way in which it justifies taxes on road users to rebuild public trust, notably following the enforced U-turn over increases in VED a couple of years ago.

Committee chairman Louise Ellman said: “The Government handled a phased set of increases to VED so badly they tarnished the image of environmental taxes.”

Nevertheless, she added: “We believe taxation based on car usage-through fuel duty-remains fairer than any approach based on car ownership and does more to encourage fuel efficiency or reduce CO₂ emissions.”