Work-Related Road Safety: The Number One Safety Risk for Australian Fleets
BY RUSSELL WHITE, DRIVER SAFETY AUSTRALIA
For many Australian organisations, workplace safety is front and centre. Sites are audited, procedures are documented, and risks are actively managed. Yet one of the most significant workplace hazards often remains overlooked: Driving.
The reality is simple. For employees who drive as part of their role, the road is their workplace. Whether operating a passenger vehicle, ute, truck or specialised fleet vehicle, every journey exposes workers and organisations to significant risk. Tragically, motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of workplace fatalities and serious injuries nationally.
Australian employers have clear obligations under Work Health and Safety legislation to provide a safe working environment, so far as is reasonably practicable. That duty does not stop at the office gate or depot entrance. It extends to any employee driving a vehicle for work purposes. Directors, executives and managers can also be held accountable if adequate systems are not in place to manage work-related driving risks.
The financial consequences of failing to address fleet safety can be substantial. Beyond the human cost of injury or loss of life, vehicle incidents lead to increased insurance premiums, vehicle repairs, lost productivity, workers compensation claims, reputational damage and potential legal action. A single serious crash can cost an organisation hundreds of thousands of dollars and have impacts that linger for years.
Yet despite these realities, many organisations still rely on a vehicle policy, vehicle selection and telematics as their primary controls. In today ' s regulatory environment, that is simply not enough. Additionally, effective road safety management requires organisations to look beyond“ ticking the box” and focus on mitigating the actual risks their drivers face every day through targeted education, behavioural interventions, ongoing coaching and continuous engagement.
Organisations need to move beyond compliance and focus on genuine risk reduction.
This means addressing the most difficult aspects of fleet safety: the human factors required to improve driver behaviour and decision-making. A proactive fleet safety strategy should include ongoing driver education, risk assessments, behavioural coaching, vehicle safety standards and regular engagement with drivers.
Addressing work-related road safety requires more than a policy document or a periodic training session every few years. Organisations that achieve lasting improvements understand that road safety must be approached holistically.
6 ISSUE 60 AUGUST 2026 / WWW. AFMA. ORG. AU