Gig economy drivers and riders at heightened risk of traffic collisions

The pressures that come with being a self-employed courier or taxi driver may significantly increase the risk of being involved in a collision, a new report by UCL finds. The majority of those surveyed - 63 per cent - are not provided with safety training on managing risks on the road. Sixty-five per cent said that they are not given any safety equipment such as a high visibility vest and over 70 per cent resort to providing their own. Dr Nicola Christie and Heather Ward (UCL Centre for Transport Studies) carried out 48 qualitative in-depth interviews with drivers, riders and their managers, and analysed 200 responses to an online survey taken by drivers and riders. The participants included self-employed couriers who delivered parcels and food, and self-employed taxi drivers who received their jobs via apps. Over two in five (42 per cent) of drivers and riders reported that their vehicle had been damaged as a result of a collision while working, with a further one in ten reporting that someone had been injured. Eight per cent reported that they themselves had been injured, with two per cent saying someone else had been injured.