Road Users

Driving for work

Your road safety obligations if you or someone you employ drives for work.

Driving for work involves a risk not only for the driver, but also for fellow workers and members of the public, such as pedestrians and other road users.

For employers, understanding the law and managing the risks is crucial to the success of your business.

Driving for work includes any person who drives on public roads as part of their job:

in a company vehicle
in your own vehicle and you receive an allowance from your employer for driving expenses.

Visit the Safe Driving for Work website

Helping you to reduce risk, protect your business and save money with employer resources, case studies and webinars.

Visit drivingforwork.ie

Commuting to work

Commuting to work is not classified as driving for work, except where the person’s journey starts from home and they travel to a work location that is not their normal place of work, e.g. if travelling to a branch office that is outside your normal working headquarters.

Types of driving jobs

The types of jobs that may involve driving for work are varied. Some employees may only drive for work occasionally. For other employees, driving covers the main part of their job. The types of driving jobs may include:

Truck and van drivers, bus, coach, and taxi drivers
Utility company employees and service engineers
Sales, marketing and delivery staff.

Resources for employers

To assist employers, together with the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) we offer the following resources:

The RSA and HSA Safe Driving for Work Guide pdf | 5380 KB Driving for Work - Driver Health Guidelines pdf | 1426 KB Safe Driving for Work Handbook for Drivers pdf | 1744 KB

Benefits

Driving for work safely benefits everyone: businesses, employees and the community.

Benefits to your business

compliance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act and the Rules of the Road
increased employee loyalty
enhanced public image by showing commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR)
reduces likelihood of employee injury or death and subsequent sickness and dependency costs
increased productivity
savings on fuel, maintenance and repair costs by improving travel planning and driving
avoids insurance hikes
improves your business's legal defence if a claim is made against you.

Benefits to your employees

increased safety
enhanced training
better understanding of and compliance with company safety policies and culture.

Benefits to the community

increased safety for road users (drivers, cyclists and pedestrians)
increased safety for public and private property
improves the social standing of your business.

Managing the risks

As an employer or self-employed person, you must by law, manage the risks that may arise when you or your employees drive for work. Although employers cannot directly control road conditions, you can encourage and influence safe driving behaviour among your employees by promoting a safety-first culture and addressing commercial pressures that may put your employees at risk on the road.