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The holiday season is approaching fast and while Fleetrisk24 wish you happy holidays we would urge all of our clients to take extra care on the road.
It’s a great time of year, we hope the sun shines, and going on holiday with your family or friends is something we all look forward to, but the road can still present a danger to you if you let it. If you plan to travel abroad and intend to either drive, or hire a car, be aware that the rules in other countries can be very different, as can the driving culture. It’s advisable to get the information you need to keep safe and legal, you can check out the rules for driving in Europe, as well as other things you may need to carry to comply with local rules http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/. Even if you are not going away and are carrying on with your normal days work, be aware of those who may have entered the holiday spirit and the potential dangers that can cause to you.
Concentration is hugely important, the thrill of being somewhere different, having lots of views to take in and of course a car full of over excited people some of who may be children, make it easy to be distracted, having potentially fatal results. Earlier this month, as a stark reminder, it was reported that a German male, resident in the UK, returned from a visit to Germany and the following day had a head on crash with another vehicle because he was driving on the wrong side of the road. It happened after he had left home and realised he had forgotten his wallet so was rushing back home to get it. Clearly distracted by having forgotten the wallet, his brain probably went into auto and defaulted to driving on the right hand side of the road instead of the left. That, combined with excess speed, ended in a fatality to the driver of the car he hit and a prison sentence of two and a half years.
We all have a duty to concentrate fully while driving to, not only avoid being a danger to others, but also to be aware of other drivers who may cause danger to us. Your role is not to decide who is right or wrong, but to keep away from, and not cause, danger. If you feel another driver may put you in danger, use it as a learning experience, not an opportunity to get annoyed.
If you have arranged to go away, think about the planning that has gone into your holiday. Initially, there’s the decision of where to go, then, how you will get there, booking the holiday, the accommodation, the time off work, making sure the cat or dog is catered for (or the fish, the budgie etc.) have you got everything you need, clothes, money (the right currency) … The to do list is very long and yet it all comes together by the day. One thing not on most lists, yet vitally important to your safety is the car, we just get in it as normal and off we go, fully loaded for what may be a few thousand miles over a couple of weeks and possibly with a caravan being dragged along behind that has sat around since last year. Readying the caravan to most drivers is washing the green stuff off that has grown over the winter, stick some air in the tyres (if your lucky) and fill it with as much gear as you can, whether or not it is loaded evenly or legally. Is it any wonder you see caravans and cars broken down at the roadside, or worse still strewn across it on its side. Remember to put the car, and caravan, on the list too and give them a full safety check before you go away. Oh and regularly check them while you are away too if you are doing high mileage.
Please help road safety by making this busy season as safe as it can be on the roads, and have a good holiday. |
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Many issues that feature in our news section may be of concern to you as an employer if you employ company drivers. It is important that you, as a company, are fully compliant with your responsibilities to those employees.
Fleetrisk24 Ltd specialises in Work Related Road Safety and Workplace Transport Safety and can help you put policies and processes in place to address your transport health and safety requirements.
For information about how we can help, in conjunction with you, manage your at work drivers, either:
Speak with an advisor on 01732 864999 or, Email: consultancy@fleetrisk24.com |