Influence of road safety on taxi organisational economic stability – a need for proactive change

Abstract

Fleet and work-related road safety is an emerging issue for organisations in Australia and overseas. Research conducted in Australia reveal that road crashes are the most common cause of work-related fatalities, injuries and absences from work (Haworth et al., 2000), with the average time lost being greater than any other workplace claim (Stewart-Bogle, 1999; WA, 2003). In recent years changes in industry/employer accountability, business processes, Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S), Chain of Responsibility (COR), Workers Compensation legislation, insurance and third party coverage, and a generally more litigious environment require industry to develop better benchmarking along with more comprehensive programs to improve fleet safety (Wishart and Davey, 2004). However, Vincent (1997) suggested that people who drive in the course of their employment form the majority of drivers on the road on any given work day, but have been overlooked by road safety and OH&S specialists (cited in Murray, 2002), despite the vehicle being classed as a workplace by Workplace Health and Safety legislation. However, this may soon change change, as OH&S appears to be moving in the direction of transport and there are increasing calls for fleet safety to be managed under an OH&S framework (Haworth et al., 2000; Murray et al., 2002).