Many are required to drive and, because they work for a UK company, still fall within UK health and safety laws.
Driving on the wrong side of the road in a left hand drive car or minibus, often on poorly maintained roads where accident rates are much higher, young and inexperienced drivers and their passengers are extremely vulnerable.
In many resorts reps entertain their guests on trips and in the evenings, which frequently involves drinking. Most people do not appreciate the impact of alcohol and fail to understand the dangers, including the “morning after” - particularly in countries with lower drink drive limits than the UK.
A ‘work hard – play hard’ ethos can lead to extreme fatigue, which added to poor roads, local driving styles, ill-maintained vehicles, driving on |
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the wrong side, unfamiliar country, hot weather and alcohol forms a very dangerous cocktail.
Holiday operators should be increasingly aware of the Corporate Manslaughter and Health and Safety Offences Acts. These apply to UK companies and their employees – even when assigned to a role in a foreign country.
Young and inexperienced drivers are responsible for disproportionate vehicle damage. This increases your costs and impacts on profitability because hirers frequently charge far more for repairs over a season than they do for hiring the vehicles.
Expecting inexperienced drivers to cope with local conditions without training is asking for trouble and is legally indefensible if anyone is injured in a collision. As most accident damage is preventable, driver conversion and awareness training give an excellent return on investment. |
