Van drivers receive in-vehicle training from AA DriveTech, and Mandy has also extended in-person training to all car drivers. She says occasional resistance to delaying a driver’s vehicle allocation until they have had adequate training was quickly overcome by managers’ acceptance of the safety...

Did you know? There are 7 main government bodies responsible for road safety. It is an offence not to stop when asked to do so by the Police and drivers face an unlimited fine, community order or up to 6 months’ imprisonment and 3 – 9 penalty points or disqualification from driving. ...

Did you know? A driver could be imprisoned, banned from driving, and face a fine if found guilty of drink-driving. A driver could be charged with driving while unfit even if they are not over the limit. The only thing that eliminates alcohol from the body is time and the average person...

Did you know? For road traffic collisions, details should be exchanged with all parties involved. If details are not exchanged, this should be done as soon as reasonably practicable, within 24 hours or reported to the Police. Drivers face a fine up to £5,000 and up to 10 penalty points...

Did you know? 1 in 5 accidents are caused by tiredness. Peak times for fatigue-related crashes are within the hours of 02.00-06.00 and 14.00-16.00. Sleeping just 4-5 hours a night for a week impairs performance to the same extent as being legally over the alcohol limit. 83% of van...

Did you know? Drivers face a non-endorsable fixed penalty of £50–£100 for causing an unnecessary obstruction by parking opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction. The average motorist in the UK spends nearly 4 days every year looking for parking spaces. Parking lights must...

Did you know? Hot weather can cause fatigue and irritability to drivers. Drivers can become easily dehydrated and it can affect their driving abilities. Drivers experience increased congestion from high levels of traffic on holiday routes and in road works for road construction and...

Did you know? It is an offence to drive having over the specified limits of certain drugs in the blood. The penalty for causing death by dangerous driving under the influence of drugs is a prison sentence of up to 14 years. Driving while impaired by drugs is thought to be a major...

Did you know? The speed limit on a motorway is 70 mph (where national speed limit applies). Large vehicles and vehicles towing trailers have a speed limit of 60mph unless other limits are shown. If caught speeding on a motorway, a driver could be fined up to £2,500. The Red X is there...

Did you know? One of the biggest hazards and challenges of Spring driving is low sun. You must ensure you can see where you are going. Use the vehicle’s sun visor and wear sunglasses to minimise glare. You must ensure your windscreen is kept clean and your washer and wipers are working...

Did you know? Leaving the engine running while stationary, or ‘engine idling’ to defrost windows is an offence under Rule 123 of The Highway Code and authorities have the power to issue £20 fixed penalties for any contravention. Rule 229 of the Highway Code says: “Before you set off...

Did you know? More than four million journeys are made on the strategic road network each day. On average, Highways England record around 196,000 breakdowns per year (536 each day). The most common breakdowns are related to tyres, overheating, electrical problems and running out of...

Did you know? Our most recent data shows that, on average, 13%* of all fatalities and serious injuries on the Strategic Road Network include weather conditions as a contributing factor to the incident. Of these, 78%* occurred in the rain (four times more than any other adverse weather...

Did you know? MOT Tests - Half of all vans fail their MOT at the first attempt. Enforcement - The police and DVSA have the power to carry out spot checks on vehicles and stop you using the vehicle (prohibition). Roadside Checks - Two thirds of vans stopped at the roadside by the DVSA have a...

Miele’s car drivers tend to plan their own schedules, while the van fleet is scheduled by Head Office. Mandy says the drivers themselves were keen to engage with the idea of fleet safety, but organisationally she realised Miele was lacking key governance components. When the previous fleet...

Did you know? Penalties for speeding range from £100 – £2,500 and between 3 and 6 penalty points. Drivers who go to court for speeding, could be fined up to 175% of their weekly salary and even be disqualified from driving. Speeding fines vary for certain types of roads and for...

Speedy Services is whole-fleet accredited to FORS Gold for the 9th consecutive year, a CLOCS champion and has DVSA Earned Recognition. It also works closely with the City of London police and other constabularies, using its trucks for ‘exchanging places’ events with cyclists. Its training is...

Did you know? 1 in 5 accidents are caused by tiredness. Peak times for fatigue-related crashes are within the hours of 02.00-06.00 and 14.00-16.00. Sleeping just 4-5 hours a night for a week impairs performance to the same extent as being legally over the alcohol limit.

Group Fleet Manager Matt Neale is responsible for the 500 light commercial vehicles used by another of Platform HG’s subsidiaries which services tenanted properties. Although all of Platform HG’s workforce is united by their overall status as part of the Platform HG charity, technically Matt...

AES also takes an active interest in driver welfare and mental health. Drivers have accommodation provided after long journeys, so they do not drive when tired. Both senior managers have taken mental health awareness training, so they know how to offer appropriate support. “A van is a tool....

Drivers are risk-assessed continuously. Joe studies a list of criteria including: Telematics, Loading, Speeding, Productivity, Out of hours use of the van: If drivers are not on call-out duty, this is flagged, Licence validation: all changes to licences must be reported, Induction and training...

The first 40 electric vehicles will join the fleet later this year and early adopters will get specific training during the detailed handover process. It is important to educate the drivers that electric vans are automatic, and more responsive to both brake and accelerator.

Metworks is the in-house residential maintenance company for housing association Metropolitan Thames Valley Homes. Transport manager, Joe Masters, oversees a fleet of 200 Citroën Relay and Vauxhall Movano vans, all of which are in the care of individual remote operatives. Read how Metworks...