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Work vehicle safety on British roads
Work vehicle safety on British roads
There are currently millions of work vehicles on the roads at any given time, including lorries, vans, buses, taxis, police cars, fire engines, ambulances, emergency service vehicles, company cars and motorcycles.
Stourbridge,
West Midlands,
United Kingdom
(sardnews.org)
01/10/2012
There are currently millions of work vehicles on the roads at any given time, including lorries, vans, buses, taxis, police cars, fire engines, ambulances, emergency service vehicles, company cars and motorcycles. These vehicles are all used for work purposes, and there are few organisations that operate without having work vehicles on the road. It's estimated that nearly a third of all miles driven on Britain's roads are by work related vehicles. It's imperative that work vehicle safety is at the top of the list for organisations.
In addition to this, there are many people working on or beside the road and this includes maintenance workers, refuse collectors, postal workers, vehicle breakdown employees and the people are exposed to risk from traffic.
Paul Beresford is Sales & Marketing Director at Defensive Driver Training (DDT) Limited. DDT provides innovative, flexible and cost effective defensive and advanced driver courses. He is a work vehicle safety expert, and says:
"It's a well known fact of life that in a recession the first thing that companies cut is the training budget. It immediately reduces overheads, saves cash, and there is often no immediate impact on overall performance of the company. If a company is anticipating potential staff reductions, it may even make sense to delay investing time and money in people today, who may well be gone tomorrow.
"Over the last 25 years we've seen this cycle repeated many times. The driver training budget in particular is the first to stop as the recession bites, and the last to start as company fortunes improve. Over the same period we have also seen the inevitable consequence of the lack of investment in driver training. As companies start to recruit again, the focus is on getting engineers and sales staff out on the road earning money, with little regard to the potential risks involved.
"The chickens come home to roost when the insurance premium is due for renewal and the increased costs of claims come to light. Having drivers standing by the side of the road arguing with the driver whose vehicle they have just hit doesn't do much for productivity either.
"The difference this time is that legislation such as the Corporate Manslaughter Act has not gone away with the recession. Companies still have a duty of care to their drivers and an obligation to carry out appropriate risk assessments. Ignoring the management of road risk because of lack of funds will not be accepted as a defence in court.
'The irony is that over the last four years, the coach, bus and haulage industry have been compelled by a European Directive to train almost a million drivers by September 2014. The objective is to improve road safety and industry performance and improve work vehicle safety. During the same period, many company car and van drivers have been left to their own devices by their employers. The insurance companies and maybe the courts will be giving their verdict on this policy in due course. "
Notes to Editors
Defensive Driver Training Limited has over 23 years' experience providing cost effective Defensive and Advanced Driving Courses in all types of vehicles. Click here to find out more about us.
Assisting major blue chip companies, NHS Trusts, Local Authorities and other public sector organisations to implement long term, low cost strategies have a proven track record of improving fuel efficiency, reducing claims rates, repair costs and insurance premiums. With a flexible approach and innovative courses which minimize disruption to clients' business, their pool of trainers are exceptional at devising bespoke training programmes that address clients' specific needs. Click here to find out more about what Defensive Driver Training courses entail.
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About Defensive Driver Training Limited
Assisting major blue chip companies, NHS Trusts, Local Authorities and other public sector organisations to implement long term, low cost strategies have a proven track record of improving fuel efficiency, reducing claims rates, repair costs and insurance premiums.
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