Drive for safer roads

Based on the thousands of checks that it carries out every week, the Licence Bureau, which verifies driving licences on behalf of businesses, estimates that there are 24,000 people driving illegally for companies in Britain today.

During 2011 it found that on average one in every 300 licences were invalid. It has also been estimated that up to a third of all road traffic incidents involve somebody who is at work at the time. This may account for more than 20 fatalities and 250 serious injuries every week.

Licence Bureau chief executive Malcolm Maycock said: "Driving is the most dangerous activity that most employees undertake as part of their working day. We want all UKbased companies to help play a part in making the nation's roads a safer place by checking the validity of their drivers' documents. In the long run they will be protecting their business interest as well as protecting the safety of others." Stand 232