Tips for Drivers
Here are some useful 'Tips for Drivers' that will help you when you are Driving for Work.
Do not drink and drive
Drinking and driving will seriously impair your driving ability and get you into serious trouble.
Look at Rules 95 and 96 in the Highway Code.
Do not drive if unwell or impaired by medicine
Be aware if prescription or over-the-counter medicine might make you sleepy.
Look at Rule 90 in the Highway Code.
Look after your licence
Your job depends on it: drive to avoid getting penalty points.
Look at what the Highway Code says about penalties
Talk to your employer about training
You deserve it! There are many advanced training courses for fleet drivers which will help you to be even better on the road, and might get you lower insurance premiums for your private car.
Check Your Vehicle
Basic maintenance of your vehicle saves time and avoids accidents. Take extra care when asked to use an unfamiliar vehicle.
Look at Rule 89 in the Highway Code.
Drivers - You are responsible for making sure that the vehicle you drive complies with all legal requirements. Maintaining your own vehicle is your own responsibility. Your company will have responsibility for company owned vehicles. They will need to ensure you have insurance, MOT etc. when you set out on a journey for work.
Don't drive tired
Make sure that you are fit to drive by having a good night's sleep before setting out. Remember the risks if you have to get up unusually early to start your trip, or have a long drive home after a day's work. Consider that natural alertness is low between midnight-6am and 2-4pm.
Aim to take a 15 minute break every two hours. You can use this time to call the depot or next customer, check texts and voicemails etc.
If you start to feel sleepy find a place to stop (not the hard shoulder). Ideally you would have a proper sleep but an effective countermeasure is two cups of strong coffee or high caffeine drink and a nap. This countermeasure should allow you to continue driving but only for a short time.
See Rule 91 of the Highway Code.
Plan your journey
Make the best use of your time, reduce stress and the temptation to speed - work out in advance where you can park and unload: don't read a map or call the depot for directions on any type of mobile phone while you are driving.
Switch off your mobile phone
All types of mobile phone are distracting: you can be fined for not having proper control of your vehicle or for using a hand-held phone whilst driving. Go to voicemail and resist pressure to take calls from your office or clients whilst driving. You put your own safety and the safety of other road users at risk by doing so.
Wear a seat belt
Hundreds of people still die avoidably in road crashes every year because they did not wear their seat belt. It is the law to wear a seatbelt where one is fitted in the front or back of all vehicles - including vans and other goods vehicles. Delivery drivers are only exempt when actually making deliveries less than 50 metres apart.
Look at Rules 99 and 102 in the Highway Code.
Here are some useful 'Tips for Drivers' that will help you when you are driving in the ice and snow.
How to drive safely in the ice and snow.
Interactive Driving Systems: Tips for eco-safe driving
