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IAM Road Smart takes aim at reckless company car drivers

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Road safety charity IAM RoadSmart has expressed concerns around the percentage of at-work drivers who believe it’s acceptable to drive under the influence of drink and drugs.

It surveyed the safety attitudes and behaviours of 2,010 UK motorists and, astonishingly, found 31 per cent of those driving for work believe driving after using Class A drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy is acceptable, compared to 5 per cent of non-company car drivers.

The survey also revealed that over a quarter (26 per cent) felt it was acceptable to drive when they may have drunk too much alcohol, and 24 per cent would drive after using cannabis. In both cases, only 5 per cent of non-company car drivers felt it was acceptable.

Highlighting the differences between motorists driving for work and non-company car drivers, IAM RoadSmart’s Driving Safety Culture Report found 21 per cent of company car drivers had regularly or often ignored a red light within a 30-day window compared to 3 per cent of other drivers.

The research also found that 21 per cent of at-work drivers often read a text or email whilst driving compared to 3 per cent of other drivers. Even more dangerously, 19 per cent said they often typed or sent a text while driving (compared to 2 per cent of non-company car drivers).

The latest figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) revealed up to a third of all road incidents involve someone who is at work at the time, this could account for over 20 fatalities and 250 serious injuries every week.

Neil Greig, Director of Policy and Research at IAM RoadSmart, said: “It is incredibly concerning that this latest research shows we still have far too many drivers who don’t understand the dangers of driving under the influence of either drugs or alcohol, and not acknowledging the danger they pose to themselves.

“By choosing to ignore key safety features like red lights or even using social media whilst driving, you are putting yourself at much higher risk of being involved in a crash. With a third of all incidents involving people driving for work on UK roads, businesses also need to hold themselves accountable for the responsibility they play in keeping their workers and other road users safe.

“IAM RoadSmart is calling on all fleet managers to adopt best practices such as checking licences, monitoring driver performance, and offering coaching to their most high-risk drivers. Not only will this save lives but also bring a direct benefit to the profitability and competitiveness of hard-pressed UK plc.”

Tesla included for first time in Euro NCAP ratings for 2022

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Euro NCAP has announced its highest overall car safety scores for 2022, based on results for Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable User Protection and Safety Assist technologies.

For the first time the list includes two cars from Tesla and two Chinese newcomers to the European market.

The winners are the following: Hyundai IONIQ 6 wins the best-in-class award in the Large Family Car category; the ORA Funky Cat in the Small Family Car Category; Tesla Model S in the Executive Car category; Tesla Model Y in the Small Off-Roader category and finally WEY Coffee 01 in the Large Off-Roader category.

Hyundai IONIQ 6 achieved exceptionally high results in Adult Occupant Protection with 97%. Fully electric, and with the latest safety technologies, the IONIQ 6 certainly follows the trajectory of recent automotive developments. For child occupants, the IONIQ 6 provided good protection for all critical body regions of both the 6- and 10-year dummies in the frontal offset and side barrier tests and scored maximum points in this part of the assessment.

2022 was notable for the number of new Chinese brands coming to Europe and achieving great results. Following some less-than-successful attempts to break into the European market in the past, several manufacturers are showing that Chinese brands can now compete on safety with well-established European brands. In the Small Family Car category, the ORA Funky Cat is exceptionally well equipped and, being at the top of its class, outperformed several familiar brands.

The second Chinese brand car in our best-in-class list is the WEY Coffee 01, again highly equipped and performing well in all categories. It was closely followed by the LEXUS RX, which deserves a mention here.

In a statement, Euro NCAP said: “Tesla has made a huge impact on the European car market due to its design and ethos. The company has also been determined to make a name for its brand in safety performance. Tesla Model S and Tesla Model Y are both high achievers in Adult Occupant Protection and both vehicles achieved the highest score of 98% in Safety Assist of all the vehicles in this list. Tesla Model S is also the best in class achiever in the Pure Electric category.”

Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP’s Secretary General, added: “2022 has been one of Euro NCAP’s busiest years yet and we have seen a lot of new car makers and new technologies.  It’s clear a good Euro NCAP rating is seen by car manufacturers as critical to success in Europe.  This can only mean better safety equipment and safer cars for European consumers all round.”

Lightfoot’s free tool helps fleets level up performance

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Lightfoot, the pioneering green tech company and provider of the unique driver coaching and rewards platform, has recently launched a brand new tool to help fleets on their journey towards more sustainable fleet best practice.

The Fleet Sustainability Calculator is a free tool that will help you quickly see how well your fleet is performing, find areas for improvement, and identify potential solutions to help you hit various KPIs.

The calculator looks at 4 essential elements of fleet management – environmental impact, financial strength, operational efficiency, and EV readiness.

To see how your fleet measures up against others in the industry, simply answer a few short questions and you will then receive tailored recommendations to help you drive your business further.

Find out how your fleet compares and calculate your score here.

These are the laws you’re most likely to break while driving

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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How well do you and your fleet of drivers know the Highway Code? Chances are, the answer is not as well as you think! Though you might be as confident as anyone behind the wheel, there are plenty of little-known motoring laws that people around the UK break without knowing every day. You might have gotten away scot-free up to this point, but that doesn’t mean that you’ve stuck to every aspect of motoring law!

Though some aspects of motoring law may seem like common sense, other, lesser-known aspects of the law can be confusing, particularly when it comes to smoking, eating, and drinking behind the wheel – can you or can’t you? With that thought in mind, the vehicle experts at Anglo Scottish Asset Finance have highlighted some common areas where UK drivers may be likely to slip up…

Key Points

  • Contrary to common belief, eating or drinking behind the wheel is not illegal. However, if you’re deemed to not be in proper control of the car, you could receive a £100 fine and three penalty points.
  • Splashing a pedestrian with rainwater could net you a fine of up to £5,000 if you’re adjudged to be driving without proper consideration for others.
  • You could receive a fine of up to £1,000 in court if you’re caught paying with your phone whilst the car engine is running and handbrake is off.
  • You could receive a minimum of 10 points on your licence and a fine if you’re caught sleeping in your car whilst drunk.
  • Flashing your headlights to give way could result in a minimum fine of £30.

Eating and Drinking at the Wheel

The actual act of eating or drinking whilst driving is not strictly illegal. However, if you’re distracted behind the wheel, and are spotted by officers enjoying a bite to eat, you could still be breaking the law. If they deem that you aren’t in proper control of the car, you could be on the receiving end of an on-the-spot fine of £100, and three penalty points.

Turning on a Light in the Car

At some point or another during your childhood, chances are, you’ve turned on a light in the car, only to be swiftly shouted at by the driver for ‘blinding them’ or preventing them from being able to see the road clearly. Despite this, there’s no law against driving with interior lights on. If the light is adjudged to be distracting for you or even other drivers, however, you may be charged with careless driving.

Splashing a Pedestrian with Rainwater

Ever driven through a deep puddle and drenched a pedestrian? Sometimes, avoiding a puddle might be impossible. However, if you’re deemed to have driven ‘without reasonable consideration for other persons,’ you could be in hot water yourself. In that event, you could face a fine of £100 up to an eye-watering £5,000.

Phone Usage Whilst Driving

Everyone should know this offence – driving whilst using your mobile phone could net you a £200 fine and six penalty points on your licence. If you’re a new driver, you’ll lose your licence. The law stipulates that, in order to use any unmounted handheld device behind the wheel, you must be parked with the engine switched off.

This means that you could be in trouble if you use your phone to pay for a meal at the drive-thru. Any driver caught using their phone whilst driving could then receive a further fine of up to £1,000 in court, so you could end up with a VERY expensive Big Mac if you’re not careful!

Smoking in the Car

Smoking in a car on your own, or in a car full of adults, is not illegal. However, if there are any under-18s in the car with you, smoking is not permitted and has been illegal since 2015. Offenders could be punished with a £50 fine and five points on their licence – even if it’s one of your passengers who is smoking with a child in the car.

Driving in Incorrect Footwear

Did you know that certain types of footwear are prohibited behind the wheel? Though it’s not against the law, Rule 97 of the Highway Code states that ‘the footwear and clothing you wear whilst driving must not prevent you from using the controls in the correct manner.’ This means any footwear without a closed back or strap could earn you a £100 fine, as they could slide off your feet or get stuck under the brake pedal – so no flip-flops!

Improper Use of the Hard Shoulder

When you’re stuck in standstill traffic on the motorway, the hard shoulder could look like a great way to get around. However, since March 2018, this has been a finable offence. With fixed charges of £100 and three penalty points to be dished out for hard shoulder users, don’t get caught out!

Sleeping in the Car Whilst Drunk

You’ve had a few too many and – correctly – decide that driving would be far too dangerous. Probably best to sleep in the car and drive home in the morning when you’ve sobered up, right? Wrong. The law states that whoever is in charge of a vehicle should not be inebriated, and police have often classed sleeping owners as being ‘in charge.’ You could therefore receive 10 points on your licence and a substantial fine.

Driving With Headphones On

Driving with headphones on is not illegal – there’s no specific law that says you aren’t allowed to do so. However, it’s certainly unadvisable – your ears are key to identifying the position of pedestrians and other cars on the road, so you should always use the stereo rather than headphones where possible.

Using a Sat-Nav

Though using a sat-nav whilst driving is legal, there are a number of rules and regulations in place to prevent dangerous usage. Your sat-nav must be in a fixed position on your windscreen or dashboard – if you’re using it whilst unfixed, you could receive up to six penalty points and a £200 fine.

Flashing Your Lights to Give Way

You see it daily on the road – a driver flashing their lights to allow another driver through, or to allow a pedestrian to cross the road. However, you aren’t legally allowed to do this – you could encourage someone to make a manoeuvre when it isn’t safe. Using your headlamps in this way could carry a minimum fine of £30.

So, how many of these infractions were you aware of? And how many have you managed to avoid doing so far? It’s always worth giving your knowledge of the road a refresh from time to time, in order to ensure that you are driving as safely as possible for yourself and the other drivers on the road!

Allan Hetherington, Head of Prestige Car Finance at Anglo Scottish Asset Finance, said: ‘Motoring law can be complicated, and oftentimes drivers are unaware of new changes to the law, which is constantly updating in response to new technology and more. We strive to ensure all of our clients are up-to-date with their knowledge of motoring law and the Highway Code, so the roads are as safe as possible for everyone!’

Lightfoot launches new Live Overspeed Alerts feature

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

Driver coaching and rewards platform provider Lightfoot has unveiled a new development for its fleet management package – the Live Overspeed Alerts feature.

Available to add on to the existing Lightfoot solution, this feature targets the problem of speeding within fleets, helping to prevent approximately 80% of incidents. It does this by alerting drivers whenever they travel over the speed limit through a series of audible and visual warnings via the Lightfoot dashboard device. This helps raise awareness in drivers of how fast they’re travelling whilst they’re on the road, giving them the ability to correct their driving in real-time and prevent the speeding event from occurring.

Speeding remains one of the most prevalent motoring offences in the UK, and accounts for around 13% of all accidents on Britain’s roads. For fleets, it brings with it the added disadvantages of increased wear and tear on the vehicles and the risk of damage to brand reputation if drivers are repeatedly caught travelling at illegal and unsafe speeds. It’s clear that more needs to be done to curb speeding incidents in commercial vehicles, and this latest development from Lightfoot is a great example of the tools that are available to help fleets create safer, more responsible drivers.

Find out more at Live Overspeed Alerts | Lightfoot

RoSPA study says e-scooters far safer than bicycles

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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By Farooq Beloch, WhichEV 
As a new study from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents reveals that electric scooters are five times safer than bicycles: Are we about to see new legislation which revolutionises inner city travel?
Given that scooters are likely to be limited on speed, not raw power – will the UK Government allow for a broader definition of ‘electric scooter’, that might open up new ‘last mile’ delivery options for companies that want to show their green credentials?

Are British roads capable of catering for autonomous vehicles?

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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This year, the UK became the first country to allow self-driving cars on motorways at low speed. The country is making incredible progress in the trials for autonomous vehicles and is funding innovative projects that will pave the way towards the transport revolution.

Technological advancements in terms of AVs are at the forefront of this revolution. But are British roads capable of catering to the future of mobility? What is the current state of our roads and what improvements need to be made to the infrastructure to welcome self-driving vehicles?

The latest news

Predictions that fully self-driving cars would be common in the UK by the end of 2021 raised many people’s hopes. But it seemed too good to be true. It turns out that we’re not ready yet to fully embrace what was once mere science fiction. Yes, we’re making incredible progress but our AI technology still has some way to go.

While we might not be seeing fully autonomous vehicles on the roads anytime soon, conditional driving automation cars are currently on the agenda. The Jaguar I-Pace model, for example, has been designed with an InControl system that allows for standard and optional driving assistance features. For this project, UK company Jaguar is developing this model in partnership with Waymo, Google’s self-driving car project.

This innovation in AVs goes hand in hand with the latest breaking news regarding AVs from 28th April 2021. The news is that vehicles that are fitted with Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS) technology will be classed as self-driving (if they’re granted a GB type approval) and will be allowed on the roads. There is only one requirement: they can’t exceed a speed of 37mph.

The highway code is changing

But things don’t end there. To advance the commercialisation of AVs, the UK government is making amendments to the Highway Code, coinciding with the Code’s 90th anniversary. They address the safe use of automated vehicles, outlining this in a whole new section. Now that’s a celebration!

The new section states that the driver must remain aware while inside a self-driving vehicle. They are required to be ready to take control if needed in just a few moments. It also states that the driver is still “responsible for the vehicle being in a roadworthy condition, having a current MOT test certificate if applicable, and being taxed and insured”.

The current state of our roads

So, are AVs ready to take on the challenge of Britain’s roads? The short answer is no, but progress is being made.

The reality is that our road networks are too complex and, therefore, unsuitable for fully autonomous vehicles. It has been suggested that segregation between autonomous and manual vehicles on the roads is necessary. The proposed segregation would continue until connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) overtake petrol and diesel-fuelled vehicles. This proposal would call for the construction of underpasses and bridges to ensure the safety of road users. However, this would require the construction of separated infrastructure for automated vehicles. Unfortunately, there is limited availability of land to create such separated infrastructure, and this could be quite expensive to implement.

In order to achieve the level of infrastructure needed to accommodate CAVs, a 30-year planning horizon is needed. It has been suggested that the best way to go about this would be to focus on separate sections of the roadways instead of transforming them all at once.

Communication systems are also crucial to ensure the optimal performance of CAVs. They rely heavily on data transfer through the Internet, which might not be perfect in all areas at the moment.

Another obstacle that needs to be overcome is road markings and traffic signs. The visibility and clarity of these must be maintained, and it may be necessary to digitise signs and markings too. This will also help CAVs to recognise them and action them.

Roadway design advancements

On the bright side, many projects that aim to improve current road infrastructure are in the pipeline.

CAVIAR (Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: Infrastructure Appraisal Readiness), for example, is a project carried out between Highways England, Loughborough University, and the construction company Galliford Try. The project won Highways England’s innovation and air quality competition in 2019 and was awarded £1m. It focuses on one of the main pain points of CAV’s innovation: the complexity of the British roadway design.

The CAVIAR platform is set out to be a simulation that examines real raw data. This will allow for an understanding of how CAVs respond to dynamic lane changes, environmental conditions, and road merging.

“This research will build on our understanding and give us further insight into how connected and autonomous vehicles would operate on England’s motorways and major A roads and what challenges they may face”, said John Mathewson, Senior ITS Advisor at Highways England.

Further initiatives to support the improvement of the roadway infrastructure are also present. A ‘smart city hub’ is being built in Ireland. It will allow for autonomous vehicle technology to be tested on 7.5 miles of complex roads. The project is being led by Jaguar Land Rover with the aim of testing its sensory data through various simulations.

Another trial route is being developed on the roads between Coventry and Birmingham. The 186-mile Midlands Future Mobility route uses existing road infrastructure for about 95% of the route. “Smart CCTV, weather stations, communications units, and highly accurate GPS” will be implemented to further support the research.

Yes, fully autonomous vehicles are still on the agenda, and it might take some time until we reach that stage of CAV’s development. However, the extensive research that is being performed on British roadway design in recent years sets us up for success one step at a time.

Yodel enhances fleet safety with SmartDrive

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Yodel, the UK independent parcel carrier, has enhanced its fleet safety programme and reduced collision rates over its HGV fleet, using SmartDrive Systems’ managed service video-based safety programme.

The company operates a proactive, ongoing safety improvement programme – implementing the latest technology across all aspects of its fleet to ensure continuous improvement.

The investment in SmartDrive’s video-safety programme has seen Yodel exceed its annual fleet safety target regarding collision reduction, in just six months, as well as exonerating its drivers when not-at-fault and providing protection from fraudulent claims.

Yodel Head of Fleet and Transport, Andy Yemm says: “With SmartDrive we benefit from objective risk scoring of on-road instances and follow up with driver coaching. It was great news to hear that, on the strength of data from the SmartDrive programme, our insurer accepted that our new proactive approach to road safety was capable of significantly reducing our collision risk.”

Yodel decided to adopt a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to on-road fleet risk in 2019 and spent considerable time examining offerings from various camera suppliers. After an intensive head-to-head trial period, it chose SmartDrive.

While other systems would have required the Yodel driver-trainer team to assess thousands of pieces of footage, SmartDrive’s managed service approach means that all footage is reviewed and risk scored in a consistent and objective manner by SmartDrive’s trained safety professionals. It is then made available to Yodel with coaching insights, via an easy-to-use online portal, which was a key benefit for the company.

Yemm says without SmartDrive it would have taken huge internal resources to manage this amount of data effectively and, in practical terms, would have been impossible to implement and objectively use as part of a proactive driver safety improvement programme.

He says his team now has clear guidance as to which incidents to follow up with specified levels of intervention, from debriefing to coaching.

Yemm says the risk scored camera footage is more effective than a driver-trainer assessing from the cab because it generates more reliable real-world observations. The footage is risk scored against a comprehensive list of observations by SmartDrive’s risk analysts.

He says having cameras on the vehicles had an immediate effect on driver behaviour, but the value of the system is the guided coaching.

To find out more email info@smartdrive.net, visit our website, or give us a call on 01442 345180.

When the clocks go back, vehicle attacks increase. Are you prepared?

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By Locks 4 Vans

As a Fleet Manager you are responsible for reducing costs, improving efficiency and ensuring compliance across your operation. As the darker evenings draw in, one aspect that undoubtedly moves up the agenda at this time of year is vehicle security.

We see a sharp increase in vehicle attacks during autumn and winter. These are not only costly to repair but they also negatively impact day-to-day operations due to the downtime of the vehicle off the road. With one van broken into every 23 minutes, it is not a statistic that Fleet Managers can ignore. 

Locks 4 Vans is the UK’s leading manufacturer and supplier of high security van theft deterrents and we are trusted by leading corporate fleets such as DHL, DPD and Network Rail. Our robust supplementary van locking solutions provide added vehicle security and peace of mind for Fleet Managers. 

We work with the leading vehicle conversion companies including Sortimo, Bri-Stor, Modul-System and Edstrom to help provide a seamless service for you. 

Contact us for advice or a risk assessment and we’ll talk you through the right option for your vehicle and budget. 

For safety’s sake, when was the last time you checked your fleet and drivers?

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By DriveTech

DriveTech, leaders in driver risk management and driver training and from the AA, have a new PULSE Fleet Risk Health Check service that could really help you save money and lives.

PULSE is a comprehensive and actionable fleet risk health check for the business community covering policies, drivers, vehicles and journeys – helping you to appreciate where the business is currently, and what the business leaders might need to prioritise for action. It’s an ideal way to kick-start a full appraisal of the organisation’s approach to driver risk, or a means of re-calibrating an existing driver risk programme that has not been reviewed for a significant period.

It will ensure that you work towards conforming to Health & Safety at Work legislation that extends to your drivers, and will also identify key aspects of your duty of care and whether you are providing this adequately, or perhaps it is in need of a re-focus and improvement. Our commitment is to help improve driver safety on-road, reduce collisions (and therefore reparation costs), save lives and help manage your reputation.

Our innovative fleet risk and driver training solutions help fleets ensure legal compliance, improve driver competence and reduce operating costs. 

DriveTech is also the UK’s largest provider of police diversionary training courses working with 34 police forces across the country.

Find out more about DriveTech’s comprehensive services for fleets, including PULSE at https://www.drivetech.co.uk/global-business-fleet-solutions/ , telephone: 01256 610907 or email: tellmemore@drivetech.co.uk