Dr Employer: How to ensure employees drive safe at night

The Winter Solstice approaches. The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer, and employees are more likely to be driving in the dark.

Given that employers have a responsibility for the health and safety of their staff carrying out work activities – including any driving done for work purposes – it is important that the risks are mitigated.

The key issue to address is reduced visibility. Nigel Best, Doctor of Optometry at Specsavers explains: “Depth perception, ability to distinguish colour, and peripheral vision are all worse in low-light conditions.

“And as we age the lenses inside our eyes lose their transparency, which can result in experiencing more glare when driving at night.”

What’s more, Best continues: “Xenon headlights are becoming more common. They are brighter than conventional halogen headlights. This benefits the driver but can be problematic for people driving oncoming vehicles.”

While employers can’t control the seasons, they can take some simple steps to reduce the risks. The first is to provide eyecare for employees and to ensure that all drivers have their eyesight checked regularly no matter how infrequently they drive for work purposes. The second is to issue up-to-date policies that are widely communicated to all drivers – not just professional drivers, but also those attending occasional meetings or running errands too.

Here are six suggestions to include within any communication to drivers, according to Best: