Driving for Work Guidance: Your Top 5 Actions
When your staff drive for work, they’re not just “commuting” — they’re operating a mobile workplace. Often in Ireland, that workplace is dangerously overlooked.
The newly released “Driving for Work: Risk Management Guidance for Employers” (July 2025) is a wake-up call. It reaffirms what DriverFocus has long championed: managing driving risk isn’t optional — it’s a legal and moral duty with economic benefits.
DriverFocus was proud to be a key contributor to the original 2009 national guidance on driving for work. Today, we remain just as committed to helping employers turn risk into responsibility — and responsibility into results!
Here are our top five actions that your business must take without delay:
1. Acknowledge Driving for Work as a Health and Safety Risk
Driving for work is one of the highest-risk activities your staff engage in. The RSA reports that up to 40% of road deaths are work-related [1]
Action: Explicitly list “driving for work” as a hazard in your Safety Statement — if it’s not written down, it’s not being managed. [2]
2. Build — and Enforce — a Driving for Work Policy
The 2025 guidance demands clarity and shared accountability. Employers must define roles, expectations, reporting and training — including coverage of personal vehicles used for work, also known as the “grey fleet.” [3]
Action: Create or update your Driving for Work Policy using the RSA sample in Appendix A, then communicate it to all workers, contractors and grey fleet drivers.
3. Check the Licence — Every Licence
Too many companies assume drivers are licensed, insured and medically fit — a risky assumption that no longer holds water. [4]
Action: Implement formal, annual licence checks for all drivers — including grey fleet.
Tip: The DriverFocus PERMIT platform supports secure, compliant and auditable checks that fulfil this requirement.
4. Train Against the Big Killers: Fatigue, Speed and Distraction
The RSA's 2024 survey data confirms that those who drive for work are more likely to speed, use phones while driving, or drive while fatigued — the “big three” risks. [5]
Action: Introduce safety monitoring, incident reporting and targeted coaching. Prioritise training that addresses real-world driver behaviour, not just theory.
5. Proactively Monitor and Improve
Compliance is not a one-off. Employers must track near misses, update risk assessments and continuously review performance. [6]
Action: Appoint a named individual responsible for fleet risk and use technology to collect driver, vehicle and journey data. Use leading indicators — not just crash data — to drive improvement.
👉 Ready to Take the Wheel? The law is clear and the risks are real — but the solutions are within reach.
Services:
PERMIT - online driving licence verification
SURVEY - online driver risk assessment
DRIVEALERT - online defensive driver training
DRIVESAFE - ADI-led interactive webinar courses
ALLY - mobile telematics for speed awareness
Contact us today and see how our services can help you stay compliant and go beyond it to build a culture of care.
Sources
[1] RSA Driving for Work Guidance (2025), p.6: Up to 40% of road deaths are work-related.
[2] RSA Driving for Work Guidance (2025), p.8: Driving for work must be listed as a hazard in your Safety Statement.
[3] RSA Driving for Work Guidance (2025), pp.12 & 17: Driving for work policy and grey fleet management.
[4] RSA Driving for Work Guidance (2025), p.16: Annual licence and fitness checks are essential.
[5] RSA Driving for Work Guidance (2025), pp.18–22 & 31: Survey confirms higher risk of speeding, distraction, fatigue among work drivers.
[6] RSA Driving for Work Guidance (2025), pp.32–33: Ongoing monitoring, review and data use is required.