Author: Simon Pavey

Avoid the stress of the Christmas getaway this year

Avoid the stress of the Christmas getaway this year

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

Christmas comes but once a year, and with it is the traditional Christmas getaway, with roads up and down the country becoming chock full of motorists making their way to festive functions and family gatherings.

That said, while Christmas and New Year is a time of joy, spare a thought for the millions of beleaguered drivers who feel the stress of long journeys at this time of year.

Getting flustered with Christmas packing

According to a poll of more than 1,000 UK motorists by Nissan, 36 per cent of drivers will be visiting ten or more people over the holiday period and that can cause anxiety about how best to fit gifts, luggage and essentials into their car.

A lack of boot space was shown to be the number one concern for 68 per cent of respondents, while 20 per cent stated they’ve considered the use of a trailer to ensure they have enough room to travel with everything they need.

Overall, 65 per cent of motorists said they get stressed about packing for the Christmas getaway, while a quarter (26 per cent) said they would rather ‘cancel Christmas altogether’ than face the dilemma of how to pack the car.

How to avoid a Christmas headache

“Christmas preparation can be stressful. And often the need to pack up the car to visit family can only makes things worse,” commented travel and packing expert Kate Simon.

“Packing for the family road-trip, where lifelong memories will be made, should be a fun activity for all to get involved in, so I was thrilled to partner with Nissan and showcase how one of the most popular family cars can help alleviate the stress this Christmas.”

Here are Kate’s top tips on packing for a Christmas getaway:

  • Do a trial run: Carry out trial runs of packing your vehicle before the day you have to leave. This will ensure you know precisely where everything goes and any headaches around fitting bulky items have already been dealt with when it comes time to travel for real.
  • Maximise space in your luggage: Fold up and roll your clothes before packing them in cases. By minimising the space items take up in your luggage, you can limit the number of cases that need to be loaded in your vehicle.
  • Look for hidden spaces: Every car is different, but most will have small nooks and crannies where suitably-sized items can be stowed. This can help to free up space for larger items.
  • Pack in priority order: Think about the things that will be most essential when you arrive at your destination and put these in last. Doing so will ensure they are easily accessible on arrival, meaning there’s no rooting around for gifts or cases when all you want to do is say hello.

Ellie Baker, brand manager at Fuel Card Services, comments: “Taking the stress out of packing for a festive getaway is sometimes easier said than done. However, with a little preparation and forethought, there are ways around the problem, as these handy tips have shown.”

man driving a van is holding the steering wheel

Helping your drivers stay safe behind the wheel

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

All employers have a duty of care to ensure that employees and members of the public suffer no foreseeable harm as a result of work-related activities. Whilst drivers have a duty to ensure they are operating their vehicles within the bounds of the law, you must equip your drivers with all the skills, knowledge and experience required before getting behind the wheel.

To do this, you should have a safety policy, frequent awareness raising schemes, as well as educate them around using mobile phones while driving, reducing driver tiredness, and driving in poor conditions. Being a Fleet Manager isn’t all about saving money, and the cost of settling for a small amount of unplanned vehicle downtime is worth it for safe and happy drivers.

Safety Policy

When writing your fleet policy, you should ensure you include key information about road safety for your drivers’ reference. This should include legal information regarding road safety, speed limits, seatbelt restrictions, drink and drug driving, and eyesight requirements. Your policy should also outline the fleet’s vehicle maintenance standards and procedures that must be followed.

Safety Awareness and Monitoring

Supplementing your safety policy with frequent awareness-raising schemes is an important and effective way of reinforcing driver safety standards.

Using telematics can also be an effective way of encouraging your drivers to stay safe. BP FleetMove Pro features OptiDrive 360, which gives active driver feedback and empowers your drivers to be safe.

Using Mobile Phones

There are severe consequences while using your phone behind the wheel. Using your mobile phone at all while sitting in the driver’s seat is illegal – whether it’s texting, calling, or using the internet. Even if you’re using a handsfree, if you cause an accident while on the phone you could still receive a fine and points on your license.

If you’re using your phone while driving, your stress levels may increase and pull your attention away from the road. Studies have shown that mobile phone usage while driving significantly reduces the amount of visual information you consume by up to 50%.

Driver Tiredness

Driver tiredness accounts for 20% of all road accidents, with up to 300 people dying every year because of a driver falling asleep at the wheel. Around 40% of sleep-related incidents involve a commercial vehicle, and it’s therefore essential your drivers are made aware of the dangers and warning signs.

Ignoring the signs of tiredness can push a driver into a ‘microsleep’, which will last between 2 and 30 seconds and often leads to an accident. Signs of tiredness include yawning, difficulty concentrating, heavy eyelids, eyes beginning to roll and head beginning to droop.

As a fleet manager, make sure you inform your drivers that they shouldn’t try to fight off sleep if they feel tired. While it increases vehicle downtime, they should take a safe break when they can. It’s also a common misconception that tiredness can be fought by turning up the radio, opening the window, or talking to a passenger. These measures are ineffective and whilst in an ideal world, you’d rather the drivers didn’t stop, a small amount of unplanned stoppage time is always better than an accident.

Driving in Poor Conditions

The risk of heavy rainfall comes with a catalogue of sudden risks, including reduced visibility and aquaplaning. One foot of floodwater moving at 6mph is enough to float a regular saloon vehicle. Before setting out in rain, drivers should check their tyres are well inflated and windscreen wipers fully functional. They should drive slowly and gently, and not through deep water. If the vehicle begins aquaplaning and loses traction, ease off the accelerator and hold the steering wheel with a light grip.

The risk of high winds can be problematic for high-sided vehicles like lorries, but also just as hazardous for passing cars, cyclists and motorcyclists – other vehicles might be blown in your path. Before travelling in high winds, you or your driver should consider whether there is an alternative route to take with less exposure to dangerous crosswinds. Finally, drivers should maintain a good distance between themselves and other vehicles.

If you want to start saving your diesel & petrol bills, then look no further than our own BP fuelcard, for more information, click here: www.fuelcardservices.com/fuel-cards/bp-fuel-cards/

Keeping vehicles in good condition

Although most accidents are down to human error, keeping vehicles maintained further reduces the risk of an incident. With MyService.Expert, the vehicles in your fleet can be serviced efficiently, when you need it. This reduces downtime, meaning your drivers can spend more time on the road.

Get in touch today and see how else Fuel Card Services can help you save.

Road safety advice for driving in bad weather

Road safety advice for driving in bad weather

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

Bad weather comes with the territory when winter takes hold, with wind, rain, snow and fewer hours of sunlight all making driving that much more hazardous.

As a result, every motorist should know what to do to stay as safe as possible when the conditions take a turn for the worse. So, to make sure that’s the case, we’ve put together a list of simple tips that will help drivers avoid the dangers of travelling in poor weather.

 

Plan journeys in advance

Preparation is everything when it comes to taking the stress and difficulty out of journeys during the colder, harsher months of the year. As a result, it’s important to plan your journeys in advance before setting out.

This means mapping out your journey, including setting aside time for rest stops and paying heed to weather reports that should enable you to avoid the worst conditions. You should also factor in the time of day that you will be travelling and aim to avoid routes that are likely to have a higher volume of traffic.

 

Reduce your speed

The risk of snow, wind, sleet and rain is significantly higher during the winter months, so you must be prepared to tackle these conditions every time you get behind the wheel. Key to safer driving when faced with adverse weather is the understanding that you need to slow down.

Rain on the road can double the stopping distance of vehicles, while snow or ice can see distances become up to ten times further. As a result, you should take this into account when driving and reduce your speed when bad weather hits. You should also be sure to increase your following distance accordingly to other vehicles.

 

Be on the lookout for hazards

Vigilance is key when it comes to staying safe during adverse conditions, so make sure you are well rested and your vision is unimpaired whenever taking to the roads in poor weather – ensure your windows and mirrors are clear at all times and that your headlights are working correctly if travelling after dark.

Hazards like black ice, wet/frosty roads, sudden downpours, fallen branches, wet leaves and more congestion are all factors to take into account in order to stay safe. When driving, always try to look ahead to the conditions further up the road, as this will ensure you’re less likely to need to brake sharply, which can be dangerous when stopping distances are longer.

 

Pack a winter emergency kit

No-one wants to be left high and dry should they face adverse conditions that lead to a breakdown, so it pays to be prepared and have a winter emergency kit in your vehicle at all times.

Essentials to pack include a portable phone charger/spare battery to be able to call for help in an emergency, an ice scraper for windows and mirrors, a shovel to help dig you out of trouble, blankets and extra warm clothes, a hazard warning triangle, a flashlight and extra snacks and water.

 

Keep your vehicle well-maintained

Finally, it’s important to ensure you carry out regular inspections of your vehicle to avoid potential issues like breakdowns. This means going over the basics at the start of every journey, from inspecting tyres for excessive wear and tear or damage, to checking the battery is holding its charge even when the temperature plummets.

Other important checks should include ensuring your windows and mirrors are free from snow and ice to provide maximum visibility, as well as ensuring your wipers are in good working order and free from damage to be able to clear your windscreen when the inevitable rain arrives.

MyService.Expert offers a nationwide network of garages where our customers can carry out essential repairs and maintenance for their vehicles. We also offer discounts on all parts and labour, with savings of up to 30 per cent.

How new technology could keep country drivers and animals safer

How new technology could keep country drivers – and animals – safer

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

There are many hazards when driving on rural thoroughfares, but one of the most common – and most dangerous to drivers – is the propensity for wild animals to suddenly run out into the road in front of cars.

 

Thousands of collisions every year

According to a survey carried out last year on 2,000 motorists by Confused.com, 39 per cent of Britons say they have hit an animal with their car at some time or another, while 49 per cent have taken aversive action to avoid doing so. Many of these motorists have either braked sharply or swerved, which may have put them or other road users in danger.

Highways England, Transport Scotland and the Welsh Department of Transport figures show they received reports of nearly 4,000 dead animals by the roadsides in 2016 and 2017, with deer, badgers and foxes the most common fatalities.

However, these statistics may be significantly short of the actual total, since there is no legal requirement to report hitting a wild animal in this country. Indeed, the National Deer Collisions Project believes the numbers may be closer to a million animals and ten million birds.

Drivers don’t always get away lightly either, with Highways England suggesting 400 motorists are injured in up to 74,000 deer-related accidents in particular every year.

Deer are certainly among the most hazardous animals from a driver’s perspective, because they are large, heavy and panic in the face of oncoming traffic, resulting in them frequently standing stock-still in the middle of the road.

However, short of signage placed by roads that are particularly affected, little has been done thus far to reduce the number of collisions with deer and their woodland neighbours.

 

A helping hand from specially-designed sonic devices

Now, though, new technology may be stepping up to offer a helping hand and an innovative solution to the issue.

According to Engineering and Technology magazine, Channock Chase in Staffordshire has been trialling virtual sonic fence devices using funding from the council, the British Deer Society and the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Austrian company ITPE Solutions supplied the gadgets, which were placed along a particularly perilous spot for fallow deer collisions. They work by emitting strobe LED lights and sonar signals when they sense car headlights, with the aim of scaring wildlife away before the vehicle reaches their location.

Encouragingly, the project was a success, with 60 per cent fewer deer deaths at night during the 12-month trial. This autumn, the scheme has been expanded to take in more roads and include even better sonic fence technology.

This isn’t the first time such solutions have been deployed, with Borzano in Italy and parts of Australia also reporting reductions in animal-related accidents since they brought in similar devices.

Ranger with Staffordshire County Council Rob Taylor told Engineering and Technology he wants to see further trials carried out and more research done into how sonic devices could be adapted for use with herds that tend to follow a lead animal.

Meanwhile, Highways England is reportedly looking into funding for a project using the technology.

“We are always open to new technologies and innovations to help reduce the number of animals harmed on our network and to help keep road users safe, and we are interested in the potential of the devices used in other countries,” a spokesperson told the magazine.

In the meantime, drivers will have to rely on the traditional advice to watch their speed and stay alert for animals on rural roads. But it is heartening to know that improved technology could soon be significantly improving safety in the countryside.

Jenny Smith, general manager for Tele-Gence, commented: “This is truly fascinating stuff and we’ll be watching with interest how further research develops. Animal collisions can occur in an instant, so any device that prevents this danger would be welcomed by us.”

 

Your business can benefit from affordable telematics with no hidden start-up fees or long-term commitments. Find out how at www.tele-gence.com

In car maps could help drivers locate green car charging points

New in-car maps could help drivers locate green car charging points

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

A popular maps service for people with hybrid or electric vehicles (EVs) has revealed it is now available through Google Assistant, meaning motorists can use it to locate charging points hands-free while they drive.

Zap-Map already operates a comprehensive database covering the locations of 95 per cent of the UK’s green car infrastructure, but this would previously have had to be searched manually.

 

Ask your car to look up maps for you

Now, Android and iOS mobile devices, Google Home hubs and cars linked to Google Assistant can search the information through voice commands.

This is perhaps most exciting for green vehicle drivers, who will simply need to activate the system by saying: “Hey Google, talk to Zap-Map” and can then ask the database to find the nearest charging point to their location, as well as its network operator and whether or not it is currently in use.

It could mean an end to the fear of setting out on a journey and being unsure where a car’s next charge might come from.

The news has already been welcomed by the RAC, which said it should help drivers navigate the unfamiliar world of public charging more easily.

Co-founder of Zap-Map Ben Lane said: “We are providing a quick and simple way for drivers to find out information on charge points at home, on the move and, for the first time ever, hands-free when they most need it – while driving.”

This comes after Ovum found the number of virtual digital assistants is set to surpass the world’s population by 2021.

Jenny Smith, general manager for Tele-Gence, commented: “Developments like these are really exciting and could help to eliminate the issue of being caught out somewhere with no idea where your car’s nearest charging point is. We’re looking forward to trying out the technology.”

 

Your business can benefit from affordable telematics with no hidden start-up fees or long-term commitments. Find out how at www.tele-gence.com