WITH road accidents appearing in the Evening Press with alarming regularity and City of York Council regularly receiving criticism on matters of transport and the roads, I felt compelled to write and praise its Your Driving Your Business initiative and the event I attended at St Williams College on Wednesday, March 22.

Representatives from a large cross section of York's business community attended, including organisations such as First Group, Smith and Nephew as well as smaller businesses such as my own.

The public sector in York was also widely represented with the MOD, North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue service and North Yorkshire Police in attendance.

The council's campaign implores employers to be proactive in ensuring the road safety of employees' driving for work purposes.

The road safety workshop I attended was extremely informative. The speakers got across both the human impact of road accidents and the (often hidden and alarmingly high) financial costs to businesses large and small.

I hope more businesses sign up to the scheme and we can all work together with the council and the relevant authorities on improving the welfare and safety of the people of York.

H Mellor,

Director,

Rugs of the World,

Low Petergate, York.

Updated: 09:44 Monday, March 27, 2006