SAFE DRIVING FOR LIFE

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) have launched a new Safe Driving For Life website aimed at supporting learner drivers.

The website offers resources for car, motorbike, goods vehicle, bus and coach drivers as well as trainers. While a significant part of this site is selling learning and revision materials there are also a number of free resources for learners, drivers and trainers including free practice tests.

The Safe Driving For Life website can be found at: https://www.safedrivingforlife.info/

It is estimated that over a quarter of all accidents on the road involve someone who was driving for work at the time, if you have employees who drive for work it is important that you have robust policies in place.

Some important factors to consider include:

Whether drivers are competent and capable of doing their work safely, for example how do you check drivers have the right skills and expertise for their role? This is more than just checking they hold the correct licence, other factors to consider include training such as induction training, regularly assessing training needs and providing regular refresher training. You will also need to make drivers aware of company policies and ensure they are provided with clear road safety instructions and keep up to date with changes in regulations, in particular where journeys cross border and different rules ay apply. Of course regularly checking driving licences is also important.

The vehicles that people drive also need to be considered they should be maintained in good condition and fit for the purposes they are used for e.g. equipment such as tail lifts, load restraints, cranes etc should be suitable for the loads carried, this includes private vehicles used for work journeys. This can include ensuring drivers carry out regular vehicle safety checks.

The journeys that vehicles are used for need proper planning allowing enough time for journeys, including such factors as rest breaks on longer journeys, time to load and unload vehicles etc. You should set realistic work schedules and make allowances for poor weather and traffic conditions.

At PIB Risk management our team can help you to develop and implement suitable occupational Road Risk / Safe Driving policies. Please speak to your normal PIB Risk management contact or get in touch using [email protected]  if you have any questions.