Sometimes we wish we could turn the clock back – I mean how can it possibly be November already?

Seriously though – once the clocks go back on Halloween – it can make the driving experience a little more ‘scary,’ not because of witches and broomsticks but because the nights draw in so much earlier.

And as the nights draw in – it’s another sign that winter is well and truly on its way.

So here are our five top tips to stay safe if you’re driving for work, during the shorter days and longer nights:

1. If travelling early in the morning, watch out for slippery roads – ice, rain and leaves on the roads can make driving more difficult. Take your time when carrying out manoeuvre’s and always watch your speed.
2. Clear your windscreen – don’t be tempted to head off to work without clearing your windscreen first. Anything that affects your vision in your car or van – can make driving hazardous.
3. During the winter months, the sun is low in the sky, making dazzling more likely. Make sure the inside of your windscreen is clean and have a good pair of sun glasses handy.
4. Check your vehicles, especially your windscreen wipers and washer fluid. They’re both even more important at this time of year because of the dirt and spray on the roads.
5. Remember, your vehicle has bright lights so you can be easily seen, however, you must still be on the look out for vulnerable road users, those who can’t be so quite easily seen, pedestrians and cyclists in particular.

According to the RAC Foundation, road traffic collisions increased by 19 percent in the fortnight after putting the clocks back – scary eh? Taking road safety seriously is always important but even more important at this time of year as the risks increase.

We can help you keep your drivers safe and manage your driver risk. A full list of services can be found in this website.

The government’s plans to help to tackle the shortage of lorry drivers by creating an extra 50,000 lorry tests by stopping car and trailer testing. 

Part of the plan is to allow all car drivers to tow a trailer weighing up to 3,500kg without the need for an additional licence when the law is changed, which is expected to receive Royal Assent this Autumn (2021)

To make more lorry tests available, DVSA will not be carrying out any car and trailer tests from 20 September.

The current licence requirements for cars towing a trailer still apply until the new legislation receives Royal Assent.

Drivers who passed their car test before 1 January 1997 can already tow a car and trailer without an additional licence.

What will change later in 2021

If you passed your car driving test from 1 January 1997, you’ll be allowed to tow trailers up to 3,500kg MAM when the law changes.

DVLA will update your driving licence record to show that you’re allowed to tow trailers. You’ll get category BE added to your driving licence when you get a new photocard driving licence.

You do not need to contact DVLA for this to happen. It will be done automatically.

What you can do until the law changes

Until the law changes later in autumn 2021, you must continue to follow the current rules about what you’re allowed to tow based on when you passed your car driving test.

You can be fined up to £1,000, be banned from driving and get up to 6 penalty points on your driving licence if you tow anything heavier before the law changes.

You’re only allowed to tow anything heavier if you’re being supervised. When you’re being supervised, you must:

• display L plates to the front of the car and the rear of the trailer
• be accompanied by a person who’s at least 21 years old and has had category BE on their driving licence for at least 3 years

What does this mean for businesses?

This might be welcomed as good news for many, however, it must be remembered that as a business, you have a duty of care under Health and Safety legislation to ensure your staff are safe, confident and competent to use any work equipment, this will include trailers if used for work purposes. 

My advice would be to offer training to anyone who needs to tow a trailer and especially if the driver has recently acquired their full licence or has not towed before.  Most commercial vehicle training organisations will be able to offer appropriate trailer training.

Don’t forget also, make sure you have a good driver safety policy in place, one that articulates your rules for towing.

You can view the new rules HERE

The August bank holiday is set to be the busiest time of the year with millions setting off on a staycation. This brings a much needed break for many but sadly, for some, the journey may not end as planned. 

Here are a few simple tips on safe driving, but not just for August!

R is for reading the road. If you concentrate on the driving task, you will be in a good place to read the changing road situations, and, plane a safe route through hazards.

O is for observation. Make sure you are seeing, not just looking by having an effective scanning technique, that is to scan the road well ahead, the mid and near ground, beside and behind, not forgetting blind spots.

A is for anticipation, the key to safe driving. To help you anticipate, simply ask ‘what if’ to things you see ahead. You will naturally fill in the answers which will lead to better anticipation and a more proactive driving style.

D is for distance, that is, keeping a safe distance between you and the vehicle ahead. Remember, you need a two-second gap between you and the vehicle in front on dry roads, but double that distance in the wet.

S is for speed. Speed limits exist for a reason and shouldn’t be ignored and remember, limits are not targets or a safe suggestion of speed, you must decide that based on the prevailing conditions.

A is for away. Put your mobile phone AWAY in the glove box or in a bag behind your seat. Glancing at it for even a split second could have distortions consequences. 

F is for fuel. Make sure you have enough fuel for your journey, if not plan your refelling stops, probably time for a comfort freak anyway. If you are driving an electric vehicle, plan recharging stops but have a plan b and c in case plan a is not possible.

E is for ‘extra’ care before setting off on a long journey. Use FLOWER as a reminder of what to check, FLOWER stands for: fuel, lights, oil, water, electrics, rubber (tyres and wipers)

T is for time. Make sure you allow plenty of time for your journey, and for each hazard you encounter, give yourself more time to deal with them by reducing speed, remember, space and time are your best friend!

Y is for yawning. Make sure you’re fully rested before getting behind the wheel especially if you are going to drive long distances. You should take 15-minute break every two hours. Falling asleep behind the wheel could have fatal consequences.

For more tips on how to keep your staff and drivers safe on the roads have a look at our website and don’t forget we also offer a full range of E-learning and face-to-face courses to help keep you and your staff as safe as possible. 

You don’t know what you don’t know is a phrase that gets bounded around a lot in the public sector and indeed the business world.

Its resonated loud and clear this week with us. We’ve been making calls to prospective clients about the services we offer including our on-line driver training courses and the work we do around Driver Risk Safety Policies.

Frighteningly several of the businesses we spoke to were blissfully unaware that if their staff drive as part of their role, employers have a responsibility for their safety, even if they’re driving their own vehicles.

If an employee driving for the purposes of work, makes a bad decision, say they choose to drive with bald tyres and that causes an accident, the buck won’t necessarily stop with the driver. 

Did you as an employer provide as much training as you could to make sure your staff knew and understood why it’s so important to keep their vehicles roadworthy and what else they could do to keep within the law and drive safely too?

If you have staff that drive long distances for work and are away from home for days at a time – do you have boundaries and regulations in place to help keep them safe on the roads?

If you’ve got a sales manager that covers a large area – they could be driving for miles, be behind the wheel for hours and have late finishes and early starts. They may decide that after a midnight finish, they’ll get up at 4am to beat the traffic, to travel 250 miles home to their family but if they fall asleep behind the wheel – that could be potentially fatal.

Courier drivers or those in the home delivery sector typically have tight schedules, are any of your practices putting staff at risk?  If they do, you are breaking health and safety law?

That’s where a Driver Risk Safety Policy comes in. It sets out the rules and regulations the company has in place and articulates the company’s expected standards. In that document it would outline what rest time they expect a staff member to have between business trips before they put the keys in the ignition.

Only last year one company was fined £750,000 after two of their staff died in an accident, where it was found they weren’t sufficiently rested. (https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/company-fined-750k-after-two-18248117)

Cars, lorries and vans can be lethal weapons – you don’t know, what you don’t know wouldn’t stand up in court if you find yourselves prosecuted under health and safety law.

Employers have a duty of care to protect their staff on the roads if they drive for work purposes. That means making sure staff get the right training and ensuring the right policies are in place.

If you’d like to know more about keeping staff safe on the roads, protecting you and your business, we can definitely help you with that.