KENT and Medway Safety Camera Partnership is driving home new employer responsibilities for staff road safety.

The Government has widened health and safety legislation to include employer responsibility for the well-being and ability of all employees using the road for work purposes, not just company car drivers or delivery drivers.

The new laws do not apply to employee’s daily commutes but do apply when an employee is travelling from home to a location which is not their normal place of work.

The Partnership is one of the first motoring organisations in the country to promote the changes and has commissioned Medway-based media agency Zest to create its media and educational campaign.

"Duty of care towards anyone who uses their car in connection with work is a pressing issue for all businesses, but Kent and Medway is one of the UK’s first regions to tackle this head on with targeted communications," said Terry Hewett, account director at Zest, which is also working with Kent County Council to promote safer road use in the region.

The Driving business – safely! campaign will feature business press advertising, educational road shows, information packs and give-aways reinforcing messages about the business benefits of safer driving.

Government statistics show more than a third of road traffic accidents, about 1,000 deaths per year, involve someone who is at work at the time – company car drivers being some of the worst offenders.

Mile for mile, company car drivers have accident rates 30 to 50 per cent higher than for comparable private drivers with mobile phone use, driver fatigue and speed the three top reasons.