Driver Risk Education 

As part of our commitment to ensure we maintain driving standards within the DMN group, and also to satisfy the increasing standards demanded by our customers, we are introducing Driver Safety Standards Education and Testing. We will require all drivers in every part of the business to complete this as part of their ongoing Driver operating Agreement or employment terms.

The main objective of this exercise is not to pass or fail but to educate and give drivers a better understanding of road safety and improve driving standards. Safer driving means less accident. Lower insurance premiums. More vehicles successfully delivered, leading to more satisfied customers and more work. This in turn means better earnings for everyone. Every action has a consequence. Realising and remembering this can vastly improve your risk mentality when driving.

With so many vehicles now fitted with trackers, our customers are able to monitor things like heavy breaking, sharp cornering, excessive engine idling. When it comes to speed, these trackers not only tell them what speed you were travelling at, but also what the speed limit on that particular stretch of road is. So we are informed of a driver doing 58mph in a van at 8.40am, but then also told that it was on a side road outside a school where the speed limit is 20 mph. Customer have access to so much data from vehicles, which they are very willing to share with us, that we have are unable to put forward any defence of the driver when presented with this.

Please read and absorb the information. Answer the question and more importantly integrate this into your everyday driving.

We have a good safety record within DMN. We would really like to keep it that way and keep you and our customers’ vehicles safe and sound.

If you have any questions relating to anything found in this exercise, then please reach out to us and we will be happy to engage.

Thank you for your time.

 

SECTION 1 – FITNESS TO DRIVE

Your physical and mental health plays a major part in your fitness to drive. You must inform the DVLA about any medical condition that may affect your ability to drive safely. Discuss any fitness to drive concerns with your doctor. Inform DMN about any health issues or personal circumstances that may affect your driving.

Eyesight

In good daylight, you must be able to read a vehicle number plate from 20 metres (about five car lengths. If you need glasses or contact lenses to drive, you must wear them at all times, when driving. It is an offence not to do so. It is a good idea to keep a spare set of glasses in your bag. Have your eyesight checked regularly (at least every two years, or more often if your optician recommends it).

 Alcohol & Drugs

You’re a professional driver. You should never drive with alcohol or drugs in your system. It slows reactions, increases stopping distances, affects judgment of speed and distance and reduces the field of vision. With alcohol, even a small amount, well below the legal limit, seriously affects your ability to drive safely. Every year, hundreds of people are killed in drink drive crashes, and tens of thousands of people are convicted of drinking and driving, and lose their driving licence and in a lot of cases, their livelihood.  A driver who is double the legal limit is 50 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than a driver who has not been drinking. It takes about an hour for 1 unit of alcohol to be removed by a healthy liver. However, it’s almost impossible to be sure how many units you’ve consumed because the alcoholic strength of drinks varies enormously, as does the size of measures. For example, a glass of wine could be 2 or 3 units of alcohol, depending on the size of the glass and the strength of the alcohol. Drinks poured at home are usually larger than ones bought in a pub or restaurant, so never rely on trying to calculate accurately how much alcohol is in your body, and whether you are above or below the drink drive limit. Many drink drivers are caught the morning after they have been drinking. It takes several hours for alcohol to disappear from the body, so if you were drinking late the previous night, you could easily still be over the limit the next morning. Even if under the limit, you may still be affected by the alcohol in your body. Simply put, if you are driving in the morning, avoid alcohol the night before. Always avoid drugs. Drugs can stay in your system for several days. Being a professional driver is not a career choice for a recreational drug user.

Medicines

Check with your GP or pharmacist whether any over-the-counter or prescribed medicines you are taking are likely to affect your driving (for example, by causing drowsiness). If so, ask for an alternative that does not, or avoid driving. Always check the label of medicines and the Patient Information leaflet for any warnings, and if it says that certain side-effects may occur, assume that they will do so.

 

SECTION 2 – SAFER DRIVING

Seat Belts

Make sure that you wear a seat belt on every journey, no matter how short the journey. This applies in vans, as well as cars. In a crash at just 30 mph, an unrestrained person is thrown forward with a force 30 to 60 times their body weight, injuring (or even killing) themselves and quite possibly, other people inside the vehicle. They could also be ejected through the windscreen.  Seat belts save lives and reduce the severity of any injuries.

Good Driving

Almost all road crashes involve human error, ranging from simple, ‘honest’ mistakes to deliberate dangerous and illegal behaviour.

Every year:

  • Hundreds of people are killed in crashes in which someone was ‘careless, reckless or in a hurry’
  • A third of crashes involve someone who ‘failed to look properly’
  • Hundreds of people die in crashes in which someone was speeding
  • Hundreds of people are killed in crashes involving alcohol
  • One third of fatal crashes occur due to ‘loss of control’
  • About 20% of crashes involve someone ‘failing to judge other person’s path/speed’.

Aggressive, selfish or impatient attitudes influence the way we drive, and can develop into a tendency to take irresponsible risks, such as tailgating, exceeding speed limits, undertaking, or jumping red lights.

Plan time to allow for traffic delays; this can help to alleviate the pressure you feel if you’re running late. Be tolerant towards others – shouting at another driver after their mistake or poor driving will not change anything, but anger will affect your judgement for some time after. Accept that drivers (including you!) make honest mistakes and have lapses in concentration.

Top Tips:

  • Drive away immediately when starting from cold – don’t leave your car idling
  • Drive smoothly
  • Read the road ahead so you can keep moving as much as possible, avoid harsh acceleration and braking.
  • Accelerate gently and decelerate smoothly
  • Change gear as soon as possible without labouring the engine (around 2000 rpm in a diesel car or around 2500 rpm in a petrol car).
  • Stay within speed limits. Driving at 70mph uses up to 9% more fuel than at 60mph and up to 15% more than at 50mph. Cruising at 80mph can use up to 25% more fuel than at 70mph.

 

When travelling at higher speeds, you have less time to identify and react to what is happening around you. It takes longer to stop. So if there is a crash, it is more severe, causing greater injury to you, your passengers and any pedestrian or rider hit.

  • Higher speeds also magnify other errors, such as close-following or fatigue or distraction, thus multiplying the chances of causing a crash
  • Drivers who ‘speed’ crash more often than those who don’t.

Always stay within speed limits (including variable limits and temporary limits at roadworks) even if you think the limit is too low.  Speed limits set the maximum speed for that road, but there are many circumstances when it is not safe to drive at that speed (for example, around schools at opening and closing times, on busy, narrow roads, on rural roads or where visibility is restricted). Make sure you know the speed limit of the roads you are using.

Many car drivers unintentionally exceed the speed limit, often without realising it. Modern cars are so powerful and comfortable they give drivers little sensation of their speed. It is too easy to creep above the limit and many drivers believe it is difficult to drive a modern car at 30 mph or less on a road with a 30-mph limit. There are some simple and practical tips to help you stay within speed limits.

  1. Check your speedometer regularly, especially when leaving high speed roads
  2. Know the limits – look for signs, especially at junctions
  3. If you are on a stretch of road and are unsure of what the speed limit is err on the side of caution until you are sure.
  4. Remember, speed limits are a maximum, not a target
  5. 20’s plenty when kids are about – and may even be too fast
  6. Try no higher than 3rd gear in a 30-mph limit
  7. Recognise what makes you speed – keeping up with traffic, overtaking or being tailgated
  8. Concentrate – distracted driver’s speed
  9. Make use of technology; Use cruise control and speed limiters that are in many cars.
  10. Give yourself time – there’s no need to speed and you won’t get there quicker

Mobile Phones

Using a hand-held or hands-free mobile phone while driving is a significant distraction, and substantially increases the risk of crashing. It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving (this includes holding the phone, dialing, texting, surfing the internet). It can also be illegal to use a hands-free phone while driving. Depending upon the circumstances, drivers could be charged with ‘failing to have proper control of their vehicle’, or careless or dangerous driving if they are distracted because they are using a hands-free phone or other device.

If you are using your phone as a sat nav, make sure you have it clearly visible in a phone holder or cradle, better still, pair it up with the vehicle allowing it to be displayed on the in-car info screen, remembering to delete it before handover.

 

SECTION 3 – ACCIDENTS, BREAKDOWNS & EMERGENCIES

Accidents

Accidents happen, dealing with them effectively and following procedures is important. Make sure you are fully aware of the DMN requirements to deal with incidents.

Make sure everyone is safe, if vehicles are blocking the road and need to be moved you must take some photos first that clearly show all vehicles involved in their positions and ensure the registrations are visible. If anyone has been injured, then wait for the emergency services before moving vehicles to the side of the road. Phone the office.  An accident job will be sent to your MiVIS device which will allow you to record all the required information and photographs. Fill in the Collision card that you must carry with you at all times. If you don’t have one, let us know, we will post one to you.

  • Stop. It is an offence not to stop, if your vehicle is involved and damage is caused to another vehicle or property, or someone is injured
  • Use hazard warning lights and switch off your engine
  • Do not move someone who is injured unless they are in immediate danger of further injury from other vehicles or from fire or explosion
  • If required, call the emergency services immediately; provide them with information about the situation, any special circumstances (for example, if carrying oxygen bottles or flammable goods.
  • If the emergency services are called, stay at the scene until they allow you to leave
  • Obtain the names and addresses of all independent witnesses (if possible)
  • Ensure the vehicle is roadworthy before continuing the journey.

Breakdowns

  • Move the vehicle off the carriageway (onto the hard shoulder or emergency refuge on a motorway) and switch on the hazard warning lights.
  • If this is not possible, move it as far away from moving traffic as you can.
  • On a motorway or busy A road never stay inside the vehicle whilst waiting for breakdown to arrive.
  • Telephone Driver Support to tell them what has happened, giving them your exact location.

SUPPORT

You have 24/7 support with DMN, please make sure you use it if required. If something is genuinely urgent then call the office number at whatever time it happens and speak to our support team. This includes out of hours – do not wait until the office opens.

Dealing with issues immediately is simpler than trying to deal with things hours later when we can no longer obtain certain photos, third party details, witnesses etc.

Stress is a major factor in accidents. If you have done your journey planning and made your calls to advise customers of eta’s and confirming vehicle availability this will help to keep your day running smoothly. If anything is causing you concern, we are here to offer help and advice and sort out issues with you. Communication, with customers and the office, is key to making your day go smoothly.