Are the gig economy and online delivery making our roads less safe?
by Laura Laker from Environment | The Guardian on (#2EEVA)
Campaigners say examples involving FedEx and CitySprint illustrate road safety concerns around vehicle maintenance, driver hours and training
The use of self-employed drivers and pressure to make on-time deliveries are risks to road safety, warn cycling and road safety campaigners.
The growth in online shopping and home delivery helped push van traffic in the UK to a new peak in 2016. However, vehicles most used by online delivery drivers, those under 3.5 tonnes, are not subject to the operator licence regulations that apply to larger vehicles, and anyone with a standard driving licence can drive them.
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