Organisations: IAM RoadSmart
Date of Launch: October 2025
Uploaded to Knowledge Centre: 27 October 2025
A new report has found that insufficient training and standards are putting gig economy workers at risk.
For restaurants offering the option of ordering via a food app, takeaway, or dining in, nearly half of all orders (45%) were made on the apps, indicating that Brits would rather have a night in the comfort of their own home.
Only one third (31%) were prepared to venture out to a restaurant, and just one quarter (24%) opted for takeaway, according to research of 208 restaurants conducted by IAM RoadSmart.
At the same time, work-related motorcycle collisions have increased by 6%; in 2021 there were 2,661 collisions, rising to 2,809 collisions in 2024.
Despite the rise in collisions, IAM RoadSmart found that one in five (22%) restaurants don’t offer any road safety training at all primarily because many of these workers are not directly employed. Only a third (31%) of restaurants surveyed said they directly employ delivery workers under contract.
Among restaurants that provide training and guidance, only one in three require mandatory participation in both practical and online courses. The most common form of support is informational resources (67%).
Only half of restaurants provide high-vis jackets and advanced driving or riding training.
Motorbikes and mopeds are the most common vehicle type for deliveries, with restaurant managers saying they account for just over half (62%) of drop-offs, with cars (59%) following closely.
However, many restaurants have workers using a variety of vehicles to take hot food to people’s homes.
Almost half (48%) of restaurants say their delivery workers are using e-bikes and a third (33%) said e-scooters were being ridden.
The report also found that many apps deploy pressure tactics designed to increase the number of hot food deliveries a worker makes, including awarding points for every completed order which can then be used to save on fuel and gym memberships.
Click the link below to access the report:
https://media.iamroadsmart.com/documents/iam-roadsmart-gig-economy-how-can-we-reduce-risk-oct25-vf-dot-pdf-451425