AMBULANCE drivers involved in road accidents on duty could face tougher new disciplinary action.

Bosses at the Lancashire Ambulance NHS Trust aim to introduce new guidelines aimed at improving the standards of their drivers.

Their new road safety policy says employees involved in two or more accidents a year will have to undergo a rigorous driving assessment.

It says disciplinary action will be taken in every case where an employee's driving and safety performance is "persistently below standard."

The new policy says: "The trust's philosophy is that, irrespective of blame, road accidents are preventable and all risks can be contained.

"Consequently we operate to a policy of zero accident involvement.

"Responsibility to prevent road accidents is not based on who is primarily or legally responsible or at fault.

"It goes beyond careful observance of traffic rules and regulations.

"It embodies the concept of a defensive driver, a driver who makes allowances for the lack of skill and lack of knowledge on the part of other drivers.

"Neither icy roads, bends, hills, narrow roads, the absence of signs or signals, signals out of order, nor carelessness, recklessness or ignorance on the part of other drivers relieves you by any degree of your responsibility to drive without accident."

Trust bosses are planning to allocate "sufficient resources" to ensure their employees are not exposed to unnecessary risks.

Drivers will take part in a "driving assessment programme" aimed at reducing the risk of accidents.

The trust is planning to formally consult staff groups on the proposals.

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