Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen is calling on employers across the country to make road safety a boardroom priority as another County Durham transport company takes the powerful Life is Precious message onto Britain’s roads.
A newly wrapped trailer has been unveiled in partnership with Newton Aycliffe-based Stiller Warehousing & Distribution Ltd and Durham Constabulary’s Roads Policing Unit, taking vital road safety messages directly to thousands of motorists.
It is the latest phase of the Life is Precious campaign, which highlights the devastating consequences of the Fatal Four: speeding, drink and drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt and using a mobile phone behind the wheel.
Stiller becomes the second County Durham transport operator to carry the campaign on its vehicles, following KATEM Logistics Ltd last year.
The Commissioner now wants more employers from businesses running a handful of vans to major national fleet operators to follow their lead.
The call comes amid growing concern about substance misuse and work-related road risk.
Department for Transport figures show the proportion of commercial drivers involved in fatal or serious collisions who tested positive for drink or drugs increased from 3% in 2015 to 11% in 2025, while research on behalf of National Highways and RoadSafe found nearly one in three road deaths involves a driving-for-work journey.
Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen, national joint lead for road safety for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said: “If you drive for work, road safety is workplace safety. Employers have both an opportunity and a responsibility to help prevent tragedy before it happens.
“Every death on our roads leaves a family facing consequences that last a lifetime. That is why Life is Precious is such an important campaign its message is simple, powerful and impossible to argue with.
“I am delighted Stiller is helping us take that message across the country. But I want this to go much further.
“Whether a business operates two vans or 200 HGVs, I want employers asking themselves: are we doing everything we reasonably can to keep our employees and everyone else using our roads safe?
“That means good driving-for-work policies, effective management of risk and taking drink and drug misuse seriously. Stiller is demonstrating what responsible employers can do through comprehensive workplace testing covering its whole workforce.
“Road safety belongs in the boardroom as well as behind the wheel. I want more businesses to become road safety ambassadors, join us and help make these messages impossible to ignore. The more organisations we bring with us, the more lives we can save.”
Stiller already operates a comprehensive drug and alcohol testing programme covering employees at every level of the business.
Managing Director Brian Simpson said: “When we introduced testing, drugs were the main issue we identified. From an insurance and due diligence perspective, we knew we needed to take action.
“We now test all employees, not just drivers, right through to director level. We carry out testing where there are concerns about impairment, following workplace incidents and as part of our pre-employment checks.
“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility and we are proud to support the Life is Precious campaign and help spread these important messages.”
The Life is Precious campaign was created by Mari Johnson following the deaths of her mother, Elaine Sullivan, and stepfather, David Daglish, from Seaham, on the A1(M) in 2021.
They were killed after a lorry driver, who had repeatedly used his mobile phone in the lead-up to the collision, crashed into their vehicle. He was subsequently sentenced to eight years and ten months in prison.
Commissioner Allen has made Safer Roads a priority within her Police, Crime and Justice Plan and is working locally and nationally to prevent deaths and serious injuries through a combination of education, employer engagement and robust enforcement.
She is also encouraging employers to engage with the National Higways Agency Driving for Better Business programme to strengthen the way they manage occupational road risk.
The Commissioner added: “Behind every road death is a person, a family and a community. That is why the message on these trailers matters: Life is Precious. No journey, deadline, phone call or delivery is worth somebody’s life.”
Ends
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