Category: Fleet News

Fleet owners have been encouraged to take as many precautionary steps as they can to ensure their drivers are not taking to the roads under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The Global Fleet Champions campaign in partnership with D.Tec International has produced a host of new resources for operators that are designed to step up policies on banned substances.

Is your team fit to drive?

Among them is a new short film called Fit to drive: Drug and alcohol testing for a safer fleet, which fleet owners are encouraged to show to their workforce during training sessions.

A series of posters has also been created for businesses to put up around their workplaces in order to remind employees of the dangers of taking drugs and alcohol before driving.

The Global Fleet Champions campaign wants fleet managers to commit to improving safety too, by carrying out screening tests during recruitment and after any accident.

It has reminded managers as part of this drive that should one of their employees be found driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they themselves could also be held proportionally liable and therefore face prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive – or even a jail term.

According to police reports gathered by D.Tec, as many as 30,000 people a year are prosecuted for drug-driving in Britain. One force said 50 per cent of the drug-drivers it caught were driving for work in some capacity.

Meanwhile, 273,000 people die annually worldwide in alcohol-related crashes, according to the International Transport Forum.

Managing director at D.Tec Ean Lewis said: “Fleet managers need to take responsibility and do all they can to ensure their employees are fit to drive. Putting an effective deterrent in place should also help alleviate the pressure these employees are putting on valuable police resources.”

Ellie Baker, Brand Manager at Fuel Card Services, comments: “As ever, the figures surrounding drink and drug-related driving are shocking and unacceptable. Let’s hope fleets make good use of these excellent resources to review their drug and alcohol policies and weed out those who continue to make our roads unsafe.”

The Department for Transport has said it is considering bringing in a nationwide ban on parking on pavements in a bid to help pedestrians and increase safety.

Last year, the Commons’ Transport Committee published a report on the phenomenon, calling it ‘anti-social behaviour’ and warning that it puts vulnerable road users at unnecessary risk, as well as making people feel as though they cannot leave their homes safely.

A legal loophole?

Although parking on footpaths has been banned in London since the 1970s under Highway Code rule 244, it is not technically illegal anywhere else in Britain.

In other locations, the law simply states that drivers of vehicles except lorries “should not” do it, unless a vehicle is spotted by a police officer causing a particularly obvious obstruction.

Now, the government has confirmed it will be opening up a consultation on whether or not local authorities do need more power to crack down on people leaving their cars on footpaths.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “Vehicles parked on the pavement can cause very real difficulties for many pedestrians.”

Although the news has been welcomed by organisations including residents’ groups, the AA has warned an outright ban could cause “chaos”, pointing out that many highways are so narrow that people have no option but to leave their cars slightly off the road.

Heather Stark, Brand Manager at The Fuelcard People, comments: “Anyone who has ever had to steer a child’s buggy around a car that completely blocks a footpath is sure to be looking forward to the outcome of this consultation. That said, emergency services may be wondering how they will reach some addresses if people don’t park on pavements. Perhaps the government should address increased parking provisions before it implements any kind of outright ban.”

Spring is finally in the air – the evenings are getting lighter, the weather is starting to improve (kind of), and drivers across the country are planning trips and excursions to enjoy the better conditions.

It’s undoubtedly a lovely time of the year, but spring can also bring its fair share of problems and irritations for motorists. Here are some of the potential issues to be aware of when you hit the road between March and May:

Potholes

A perennial bugbear of road users, potholes can be a major problem in the spring. They are a hangover from the winter months, caused when water seeps into cracks in the roads, freezes and expands. This creates holes that are not only unsightly and unpleasant to drive through, but potentially hazardous to drivers and pedestrians.

Most car owners will be familiar with the experience of hitting a particularly nasty pothole. In the worst cases, they can cause damage to your tyres, suspension and other parts of your car, so it’s always wise to be on the lookout for holes and to avoid them if you can.

Sun glare

It’s nice to see more of the sun in spring, but, when you’re behind the wheel, bright sunlight can be a major problem. The dazzling effect of spring sunshine can sometimes make it difficult to keep a clear view of the road ahead, which is vital for safe and responsible driving.

This can be particularly problematic if the roads have been left wet by spring showers, causing the sunlight to reflect off the tarmac and cause even more glare. While there’s only so much you can do to protect against this issue, it’s always a good idea to have a pair of emergency sunglasses in the car.

Traffic

Warmer weather and longer days mean more people heading out on day trips and spring getaways, which unfortunately means more cars on the road and a higher risk of traffic. Again, this is a difficult problem to avoid. Still, it’s always wise to think carefully about the timing of your journeys and to consider alternative routes that might be less congested.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that there could be more pedestrians around as the weather improves, so you should be extra vigilant at road crossings and in built-up residential areas.

Rain

The spring months are known for their changeable weather, and while there’s usually plenty of sun to enjoy at this time of year, there’s also a high chance of rain.

Motorists should always be prepared to change how they drive to suit the conditions. If you’re unlucky enough to be on the road during heavy downpours this spring, keep your distance from other cars, so you have enough time to stop safely on wet roads.

It’s also important to make sure vital parts like your tyres and windscreen wipers are in good working order so you can always drive safely.

With MyService.Expert, you can get calendar alerts for services and MOTs, as well as money off parts and labour to help you keep your vehicle in the best condition, at any time of the year.

Highways England has admitted that the cameras used to monitor the UK’s new network of smart motorways are not always being checked.

BBC Breakfast submitted a Freedom of Information request to learn more about how technology is implemented to spot vehicles stranded on the roads, which forced the organisation to reveal that control room staff are not there around the clock.

Concerning news for drivers

The news is bound to spark further controversy surrounding smart motorways, which do not have a hard shoulder and require drivers to find their way to SOS refuge areas that are placed at intervals along the highway should they break down.

Smart motorways now account for 416 miles of road and are expected to almost double in length by 2025, but 38 people have died on them within the past five years.

Furthermore, AA research recently found it takes an average of 17 minutes to spot broken-down vehicles in moderate to heavy traffic on smart motorways, on top of another 17 minutes for emergency vehicles to arrive on the scene.

Meanwhile, motorists in stranded vehicles that cannot reach refuge areas may be forced to sit in live lines as other road users remain unaware the lane ahead of them is blocked.

Highways England insisted there are measures in place to ensure cameras are keeping people safe, including transferring incidents between control rooms during busy periods.

“As with any organisation using many hundreds of CCTV cameras, it is not possible for our operators to monitor every camera all of the time. Our control rooms are staffed 24/7, 365 days a year, and we manage peaks of activity flexibly across all our regional operations centres,” a spokesperson added.

Jenny Smith, Product Manager for Tele-Gence, commented: “This news is sure to be a damning blow for the government, as well as worrying for drivers who need to know they are secure in an emergency. We hope it prompts a further review into safety on smart motorways.”

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

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New technology that automatically detects the level of tread around a tyre could hold the key to improving road safety in the UK.

The EasyTread system has been developed by Beissbarth and is being made available to garages and forecourts up and down the country through Everard.

Easy and quick assessment for motorists

“The harsh reality is that a lot of drivers don’t regularly check the condition of their tyres and that many wouldn’t know how to, instead relying on the annual MoT to rubber-stamp their vehicle’s safety,” commented Everard divisional manager Jamie Taylor.

However, an automated system that can be installed into a garage forecourt that motorists simply drive up to and it tells them the exact state of their tyres could help many people to avoid the dangers of driving with insufficient tread.

Indeed, figures published by the Department for Transport show how faulty treads were a contributing factor in up to one-third of all road traffic accidents in the UK between 2013 and 2019.

The EasyTread system works by using LED refraction to build a 3D image of the full circumference of a tyre’s tread. It can then show the owner the exact state of their tyres in as little as 90 seconds.

Jenny Smith, general manager for Tele-Gence, commented: “New technologies that help to boost road safety should always be welcomed and, with so many accidents caused by faulty tyres, allowing motorists to more easily assess their tread depth could be a real lifesaver.”

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