Driver Welfare, Safety and Compliance: A Traffic Commissioners’ View
As Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain, our statutory role is to regulate the operation of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and public service vehicles (PSVs) in the interests of road safety, fair competition and public confidence. Central to this role is the wellbeing of professional drivers.
Driver welfare is sometimes seen as a peripheral employment issue. From a regulatory perspective, however, it is closely linked to fitness to drive, compliance with the law and the management of risk. Where driver welfare is poor, the likelihood of fatigue, ill health, poor decision‑making and non‑compliance increases. These factors feature regularly in the cases we consider.
This article sets out why driver welfare matters to the regulatory system, where the most significant risks currently lie, and how recent evidence, including research undertaken by Loughborough University, supports a more preventative and evidence‑based approach.
Driver Welfare and the Regulatory Framework
The Traffic Commissioners do not regulate “welfare” as a standalone concept. Our responsibilities focus on:
- Operator licensing and repute
- Drivers’ hours and working time compliance
- Road safety and professional standards
However, welfare deficiencies frequently manifest themselves through compliance failures. Drivers who cannot rest properly or who are managing long‑term health issues are more likely to accumulate infringements, experience collisions or disengage from their employer.
From our perspective, welfare is therefore a necessary foundation for lawful and safe operation, not an optional enhancement.
HGV Driver Welfare: Areas of Greatest Concern
Lorry Parking and Rest Opportunities
The availability of safe, legal and appropriate lorry parking remains one of the most significant challenges facing the industry. Drivers must take rest in accordance with the law, yet many continue to report difficulty finding suitable places to stop, particularly on strategic freight corridors.
In regulatory cases, this issue often arises when drivers are found to have continued driving beyond permissible limits. While we recognise the infrastructure constraints that exist, operators retain a responsibility to plan routes and schedules that allow drivers to comply with the law.
Lack of parking does not remove legal obligations, but it does increase the importance of careful operational planning.
Welfare Facilities and Health
Access to basic welfare facilities, such as toilets, washing facilities, rest areas and food, is fundamental. Inconsistent provision contributes to wider health risks, particularly in a workforce that is ageing and often sedentary.
Poor health outcomes have implications for medical fitness to drive, long‑term retention and operational resilience. These issues increasingly feature in regulatory discussions and driver medical assessments.
Security and the Ability to Rest
Security concerns at rest locations affect drivers’ ability to achieve effective rest. Anxiety about personal safety or vehicle security leads some drivers to reduce rest periods or remain alert during mandated breaks, increasing fatigue risk.
Secure facilities are therefore a safety control as much as a crime‑prevention measure.
Evidence from Research: Lessons from Loughborough University
Traffic Commissioners place considerable weight on evidence when assessing risk and appropriate controls. Research undertaken by Loughborough University provides valuable insight into how welfare issues translate into safety outcomes.
Health and the SHIFT Programme
The Structured Health Intervention For Truckers (SHIFT) programme was developed by Loughborough University to address the disproportionately poor health outcomes experienced by HGV drivers.
The research identified that these outcomes are driven primarily by the structural realities of the role (long periods of sitting, irregular schedules, poor food availability and limited access to health services) rather than lack of awareness.
The programme was evaluated using robust methodology and demonstrated improvements in physical activity, sitting time and weight outcomes among participating drivers. Importantly, SHIFT was designed to operate within existing industry structures, including Driver CPC training.
This work demonstrates that preventative, realistic interventions can be effective, and that driver health should be viewed as part of the safety system.
Fatigue and Fitness to Drive
Loughborough University’s research into fatigue and sleep has reinforced the well‑established link between fatigue and impairment. Evidence shows that fatigue can reduce driving performance to a level comparable with alcohol impairment.
For regulators, this supports the view that managing fatigue requires more than monitoring hours records. Access to suitable rest environments, sensible scheduling and a supportive organisational culture all play a role in maintaining fitness to drive.
PSV Driver Welfare: Different Conditions, Similar Principles
PSV drivers operate in different environments, but many welfare risks overlap with freight transport.
Research into bus driver fatigue, also conducted by Loughborough University for Transport for London, identified significant levels of fatigue linked to scheduling, working patterns and welfare provision. This evidence informed the introduction of formal Fatigue Risk Management Systems in London bus operations.
Access to toilets, rest facilities and support in dealing with public‑facing stress remain important factors across the PSV sector, particularly where services operate over long hours.
Expectations of Operators
Operators are expected to take reasonable, proactive steps to manage welfare risks. This includes:
- Planning work that allows lawful rest
- Considering known infrastructure constraints
- Monitoring fatigue risk, not just hours data
- Supporting driver health and wellbeing
- Creating an open culture where concerns can be raised
Where operators can demonstrate that welfare risks are understood and managed, this is relevant when considering compliance and repute. Conversely, repeated failures linked to poor welfare controls may result in regulatory action.
All staff, such as technicians and managers need access to this support as they have a direct impact on safety and compliance.
The RHA Guide states that operators should be:
Creating a Safe Place for Conversations
Drivers need confidence that raising a concern won’t automatically lead to punishment.
Best practice includes:
- Open-door approach for health discussions. Drivers should feel safe declaring medication changes, sleep issues, or alcohol concerns.
- Training for transport managers on how to have helpful, understanding talks.
- Confidentiality protocols to protect privacy.
- Access to workplace health or help programs for anyone having problems with alcohol or drug addiction.
- Clear guidance on how and when to report concerns about colleagues, without stigma.
You can read more in the Guide-to-Maintaining-Driver-Health_260203_digi.pdf from the RHA.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Driver welfare is not limited to physical health, hours compliance or roadside facilities. Increasingly, issues of mental health, isolation and stress are emerging in regulatory casework and operator engagement.
The logistics sector presents a unique set of pressures: long periods of lone working, irregular hours, disrupted sleep patterns and limited opportunity for social connection. These factors can contribute to declining mental wellbeing, which in turn affects concentration, decision‑making and behaviour at work.
In this context, we welcome Logistics UK’s THRIVE initiative, which represents a sector‑led response to the growing need for accessible mental health and wellbeing support.
What initiatives like this provide
THRIVE is an online wellbeing hub developed by Logistics UK to give drivers, operators and managers access to a trusted library of mental health and wellbeing resources. It brings together guidance, toolkits and expert content covering:
- Mental health awareness and signposting
- Stress, anxiety and burnout
- Sleep and fatigue associated with shift and night work
- Loneliness and social isolation
- Physical wellbeing, including links to driver‑specific health programmes such as SHIFT
These initiatives do not (and should not) attempt professional care. Its stated purpose is to guide individuals towards appropriate support, providing practical information in an accessible and industry‑relevant format. For 2026, THRIVE is supporting the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), reinforcing its focus on early intervention and suicide prevention.
THRIVE is found here.
Other online resources exist, though will not be targeted at our sector.
Why This Matters from a Regulatory Perspective
Traffic Commissioners are increasingly aware of the role that mental health can play in:
- Fatigue and fitness‑to‑drive
- Driver conduct and decision‑making
- Attendance, engagement and retention
- The circumstances surrounding compliance failures
While mental health is not a regulated condition in itself, it is relevant when assessing whether an operator has taken reasonable steps to support drivers and manage risk. Industry‑wide resources such as THRIVE help normalise conversations about wellbeing and reduce the barriers to drivers seeking help early.
We regard initiatives of this nature as supportive infrastructure: not a substitute for good management practices, but a tool that operators and transport managers can use to strengthen them.
Expectations of Operators and Transport Managers
From our perspective, welfare resources are most effective when they are:
- Actively signposted to drivers, not simply available
- Integrated into day‑to‑day management conversations
- Used to support, rather than replace, internal processes
Operators who can demonstrate that they are engaging with recognised industry initiatives, promoting wellbeing resources and responding appropriately when issues are raised are better placed to manage emerging risks before they escalate into safety or compliance failures.
A Practical Consideration for Transport Managers
Transport Managers may wish to consider:
- Making drivers aware of useful resources during induction or periodic briefings
- Using industry-accepted materials as part of toolbox talks on fatigue, stress or wellbeing
- Encouraging open discussion where drivers feel able to raise concerns early
These steps do not require complex systems, but they can contribute to a healthier, more resilient workforce.
Conclusion
Driver welfare, road safety and compliance are closely aligned. Increasingly, regulatory experience and academic evidence tell the same story: poor welfare leads to increased risk.
The challenge is to move from reactive responses to preventative systems. Evidence‑based approaches, such as those developed through academic research and implemented in partnership with industry, provide a clear direction of travel.
From a regulatory standpoint, welfare should be treated as an integral part of safe and compliant operation. Doing so benefits drivers, operators and the public alike.
As Traffic Commissioners, we do not prescribe specific wellbeing programmes. However, we do expect operators to take welfare seriously as part of safe and compliant operation.
Sector‑led initiatives such as THRIVE demonstrate how industry can respond collaboratively to shared challenges. Used alongside realistic planning, good communication and evidence‑based fatigue management, they support the wider objective we all share, keeping drivers safe, compliant and fit to drive.