Road safety at work: too few prevention actions in VSEs and SMEs

As the Days of Road Safety at Work begin (May 22 to 26), the study also shows that both managers and workers (3) are still unaware of the importance of occupational road risk, yet the leading cause of death at work. .

Insufficient preventive actions in VSEs and SMEs

Overall, only 7% of managers of VSEs, SMEs and ETIs (up to 1.000 employees) have planned road risk prevention actions in their company this year. But the study highlights a real dichotomy between small and large companies.

Thus in 2023, only 6% of business leaders with less than 49 employees have already planned road risk awareness actions, compared to 58% for those with more than 250 employees!

On the employee side, 32% of working people say they have taken one or more road risk awareness training courses (+7 points compared to 2022) and 26% believe that the actions implemented by their company are frequent (+3 points).

Working people are waiting for information and awareness-raising actions from their employer, such as the introduction of a charter of good driving practice (29%) or the implementation of awareness-raising actions (28 %).

The road, first cause of death at work: an unknown reality

More than ever, road accidents are the leading cause of death at work. In 2021, 454 people died during a work-related trip, including 308 during a home-to-work journey and 146 during a professional journey, an increase of 27% compared to 2020 (4) .

For 9 years, the study has shown that the importance of road risk in business is underestimated. The figures are even down this year since only 15% of managers and 31% of employees think that it is the leading cause of fatal accidents at work (-2 points for managers and workers compared to 2022 ).

Only 1 manager out of 2 knows that his liability is engaged in the event of a road accident involving one of his employees on his home-work journey, and 64% on a professional journey. However, the study shows a gradual awareness among managers of their responsibility during their employees' home-to-work journeys (+6 points compared to 2022). The inclusion of road risk in the single document, a mandatory mention, is also slightly more frequent with 45% of managers who say they have mentioned this risk (+1 point versus 2022).

Risky driving behavior

While 43% of working people regularly drive a vehicle during their working day (at least once a month), many of them are reckless on the roads: 84% adopt at least one risky behavior (+2 points compared to 2022). The bad behaviors that increase the most are the use of the telephone (+5 points) and drowsiness at the wheel (+6 points).

Nearly 1 in 2 drivers (49%) have narrowly missed having an accident in the last 5 years, 54% of them due to a lack of attention. 22% have already had an accident (+3 points versus 2022). 43% of employees received a fine and 38% lost points on their license.

Towards more sustainable journeys

The government measures put in place in recent years to promote sustainable mobility seem to find an echo within companies.

Thus, 32% of working people have already heard of the "sustainable mobility package" set up 3 years ago and which encourages the use of soft mobility such as bicycles or electric scooters and 25% declare that their company has it. already set up. In addition, 14% of managers who have already implemented road safety actions say they have implemented prevention actions on soft modes of transport.

Concerning the €100 bonus for drivers who use short-distance carpooling, 44% of working people find this measure effective in encouraging home-to-work carpooling.

Awareness campaign for leaders

For Cécile Lechère, in charge of road risk prevention at MMA: “The study shows that the importance of road risk remains underestimated by both business leaders and employees. It is therefore essential to continue awareness-raising efforts aimed at companies. 41% of VSE, SME and ETI managers also feel that they are insufficiently informed about the issues and rules relating to road risk in business. To prevent road risk in business, simple solutions exist such as the provision of awareness tools. This is why we are conducting a prevention campaign with managers to alert them to this risk and encourage them to raise awareness among their employees. »

1. Study carried out by Ifop for the insurer MMA in 2 stages. By telephone from April 3 to 14, 2023 with a sample of 250 business leaders, representative of French companies with 1 to 1.000 employees. Online, from April 3 to 13, 2023 with a sample of 516 people making business trips at least once a month extracted from a sample of 1.400 people representative of the French working population. For the two targets, the representativeness of the samples was ensured by the quota method.

2. Source: Insee 2022.

3. Active non-road professionals making professional journeys at least once a month. Throughout this press release, figures refer to assets within the meaning of this category.

4. Source: ONISR 2022 figures.