Category: Fleet News

A safety organisation has urged fleet and business owners to do more to keep their drivers safe after its study found the number of collisions caused by drivers at work has increased.

IAM RoadSmart highlighted Department for Transport figures showing there were 5,506 serious and fatal crashes in Britain involving an at-work driver last year, up from the 5,442 seen a decade earlier.

Disappointing progress

In its white paper The Role of Business Drivers, the body criticised the ‘disappointing lack of progress’ and called for ‘urgent action’ to tackle the stagnation.

According to a survey carried out as part of the research, a significant contributing factor could be poor business practices, with 49 per cent of business leaders saying they expect their employees to answer their phone at all times – even if they are driving.

It’s perhaps not surprising, then, that 17 per cent of those polled said they had been involved in an incident while driving for work due to a phone call from a colleague.

Furthermore, 13 per cent of employees and six per cent of leaders said they think the hard shoulder of a motorway is an acceptable place to take a business call.

IAM RoadSmart spokesperson Neil Greig said he finds the results of the research alarming.

“Employers need to do more to drive change across their workforce and to take their responsibilities to keep staff safe, particularly when they’re behind the wheel for business,” he added.

This comes just two months after research by Lightfoot found 12 per cent of fleet drivers who had had a crash cited phone calls during their journey as the primary cause of their accident.

Ellie Baker, brand manager at Fuel Card Services, comments: “Again, this disturbing news shows some fleet staff may be feeling so under pressure from deadlines and targets that they are compromising the safety of themselves and others. Please ensure all your staff have the time and space they need to complete every journey safely.”

 

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.”

Many people will have begrudgingly accepted a few points on their licence for a minor driving offence at some time or another.

However, what might not be clear to a lot of them is just how much of an effect this could be having on their car insurance premiums.

How premiums soar with just a few points

New research by Compare the Market used data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and a survey of 2,400 UK motorists to examine penalties and the cost of car insurance.

It found that having just three penalty points on a driving licence adds an average of £209 in additional insurance premiums per year, amounting to a total of £230 million across the UK.

If a driver goes from zero to three points, their average premium is likely to be around £750. However, if someone adds another three points to their licence to total six, they can expect to pay an average of £1,159.

More than 500,000 people currently have six points on their licence, 85 per cent of which came from speeding violations.

Although three-quarters of those who had received penalty points reported changing their driving behaviour as a result, Compare the Market said the study suggests many people may not be considering the long-term impact of their bad habits on their insurance.

Spokesperson Dan Hutson said: “Drivers should be incentivised by these numbers to take care when on the road or risk being charged a huge amount for cover.”

Penalty points can be given out by police for a range of misdemeanours, from using a vehicle with a defective tyre (three points) to failing to comply with a school crossing patrol sign (also three points).

Jenny Smith, general manager for Tele-Gence, commented: “A few points here and there might not seem like the gravest offence in the world, but this goes to show the financial toll they can take. It’s definitely worth fleet owners reminding their teams of the importance of driving responsibly.”

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Nottinghamshire has been given the questionable honour of being named as the worst county in the country for potholes.

MoneySuperMarket used a Freedom of Information request to analyse data relating to which councils from across the UK had the most damage to roads reported to them.

 

A roll call of dishonour

It emerged that the East Midlands region had recorded the most, with a staggering 253,920 potholes going down on record over the period between January 2017 and June 2019.

This was more than 100,000 potholes greater than the total for the next worst council area, Devon County Council.

Rounding out the top – or should that be bottom? – five were Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council, Cambridgeshire County Council and the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, which had more than 330,000 potholes between them.

At the other end of the scale, the Isles of Scilly region was listed as having the fewest recorded potholes. However, they do only have around nine miles of road in total, so councils may perhaps find it easier to stay on top of repairs there.

The news comes after Car Parts 4 Less found Bath Road in Hounslow, London was the UK’s most complained-about road for damage last year.

Rachel Wait, spokesperson at MoneySuperMarket, said: “As most drivers will know, potholes are a real menace. We’re expecting a particularly cold winter, so we may well see the number of potholes rise or worsen.”

Ellie Baker, brand manager at Fuel Card Services, comments: “These figures really are shameful. We continue to believe the government has a responsibility to act everywhere to prevent drivers and businesses experiencing the damage to their vehicles that gaping holes in the roads can cause.”

 

Peugeot has announced the launch of new variants for both its Expert Panel Van and Crew Van model ranges.

The French marque is adding its Expert Sports Edition package to both vehicles for UK buyers.

Adding new flair to two popular models

The new Expert Sports Edition package will add a host of additional equipment to both models, including 17-inch Black Phoenix alloy wheels, Sports decals on the sides and rear of the van and dual zone automatic air conditioning.

Buyers will also be able to choose from three new exterior colours: Cumulus Grey, Bianca White and Nera Black.

The new package option will sit above the Asphalt variant package in both model ranges and will benefit from the same variable specification options as the standard Expert Panel Van and Crew Van.

“Our van customers are just as style-conscious as our car buyers and expect all the comfort features they will find in the Peugeot car range,” commented David Peel, managing director of Peugeot UK.

“The new Expert Sport Edition range is available to order now and is destined to be a hot favourite with our van customers.”

Prices for both the Expert Panel Van and Crew Van models will start from £29,460.

Ellie Baker, brand manager at Fuel Card Services, comments: “Fleet managers looking to add flair and an extra dose of style to their model offering will be pleased to see the launch of this new package. It gives ever-greater choice to buyers and is sure to go down well with drivers.”