Summer 2008
Foreword
Foreword
Ashley Martin, Editor of RoadSafe...
Cover story
‘Driving for Better Business’ scheme set to expand
‘Driving for Better Business’ is a Department for Transport programme aimed at establishing a network of employers and ‘business champions’ to promote good practice to cut the number of road crashes involving at-work drivers. Ashley Martin reports on the latest developments...
News
Deaths hit record low
The number of deaths on Britain’s roads has fallen below 3,000 for the first time since records began more than 80 years ago...
Helmet safety ratings could save 50 lives
Fifty lives a year could be saved by groundbreaking motorcycle helmet safety ratings, according to Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick...
Survey shows that fleets are managing road risks
Fleet decision-makers are getting to grips with the complex demands of implementing a comprehensive occupational road risk management policy, according to the results of a major survey conducted by fast-fit giant Kwik-Fit Fleet in conjunction with RoadSafe...
Quarter of drivers fail eyesight tests
One in four Surrey drivers cannot see well enough to be on the roads and pose a greater risk of causing crashes, according to checks carried out on drivers’ eyesight by Specsavers on its ‘Drive Safe’ roadshow trailer at this year’s Surrey Heath Show...
Death crash highlights dangers of pool cars
Companies have been warned of the lasting impact of relatively simple errors in risk management after a horrific fatal accident in which a pool car known to have faulty tyres crashed and burst into flames, killing two people...
Demand for tyre checks is rising, says Kwik-
The ever-increasing focus by companies on at-work driver safety is driving up demand for Kwik-Fit tyre safety checks with the company set to add a further 30 units to its mobile fleet this year to cope with the boom...
ScottishPower gains RoSPA’s top award
ScottishPower Fleet Business has been presented with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accident’s top award for managing occupational road risk...
Remove street signs for better safety, say experts
Roads would be safer if thousands of road signs and traffic lights were removed and streets redesigned to leave drivers and pedestrians uncertain about who has priority, a major new report has claimed...
Aggressive driving will cost fleets dear
Aggressive driving is set to cost companies significant sums of money in the light of recent fuel cost hikes, according to ING Car Lease’s head of risk, Diarmuid Fahy...
Money not safety talks to boards of directors
Boards of directors understand money, which is increasingly the tack used by fleet decisionmakers to justify why their employer should put in place a comprehensive occupational road risk management policy...
New campaign aims to put Britain first in road safety
A NEW campaign has been launched to return Britain to European leadership in road casualty reduction and save a staggering £6 billion a year in crash-related costs...
RoadSafe readers offered discount on new driving at work special report
THE ‘Driving at Work 2008: Special Report’ from the Workplace Law Group is now available and RoadSafe readers can obtain a 10% discount on the purchase price...
Huge number of roads classed as ‘unsafe’
ALMOST a third of Britain’s A-roads (30%) and nearly a quarter of the country’s motorways (24%) have been described as ‘unsafe’ by the Road Safety Foundation, the UK arm of EuroRAP, the European Roads Assessment Programme...
Call for ban on hands-free mobiles on the move
The Government should ban drivers from using hands-free phones in the wake of a lorry driver being jailed for causing a fatal crash while talking on a Bluetooth headset...
Jail for phone users who kill on the roads
DRIVERS who kill while using a mobile phone at the wheel are to be sent to jail under tough new sentencing guidelines issued to judges and magistrates by the Sentencing Guidelines Council...
Case studies
How Greene King brewed up a safer fleet
The world-famous brewing firm is steering itself to a safety-first future – and is saving £150,000 as a result...
‘Zero Tolerance’ puts Network Rail fleet on track
A ground-breaking zero tolerance scheme from one of Britain’s biggest companies aims to create the bestmanaged and safest fleet in the UK...
Ministry takes the ‘green’ road to fleet safety
Collision reductions with the spin-off benefit of fuel economy savings is the aim of the Ministry of Defence in introducing sophisticated technology to monitor driver behaviour on its huge and diverse vehicle fleet...
VIP viewpoint
Johnson & Johnson looks at the big picture
Such is the global reach of health care company Johnson & Johnson’s at-work driving safety programme that it is working with the World Health Organisation and the United Nations. ASHLEY MARTIN talks to Gabriel Kardos, the SAFE Fleet manager of the organisation’s Europe, Middle East and Africa division...
Manufacturers' round up
Safety to sell new Accord
HONDA says its all-new upper medium segment Accord features a ‘sector-leading package of safety systems’ and has jumped on the media coverage around electronic stability control – known as vehicle stability assist (VSA) by the Japanese marque – to further promote the new car...
Euro NCAP
Pedestrian protection slated
VEHICLE manufacturers are failing to make ‘clear progress’ in reducing the likelihood of pedestrians suffering serious injury if they are involved in a collision with a car, according to the European New Car Assessment Programme...
Legislation update
Ministers to compile new strategy to cut death toll
The Government will shortly consult on a new long-term strategy designed to improve road safety from 2010. Ashley Martin reports...
Driver’s death prompts lorry loading safety call
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has reminded employers that they must ensure the safety of drivers who load and unload goods following the death of an HGV driver...
Alcolocks for coach firm
COACH operator Ellisons Travel Services, which transports a number of Premiership Football Clubs and the England rugby team, is fitting alcolocks to its entire fleet...
Mirrors will aid cyclists
Large vehicle operators should take action to stop further increases in cyclist injuries and fatalities, according to Norwich Union....
Opinion
MID is there for all our sakes
‘Ask MID’ or face the consequences, says Neil Drane, head of compliance and enforcement services at the Motor Insurance Database...
Visibility is the key to saving lives
Car care specialist Comma is campaigning for a new law that will compel all UK motorists to carry a high-visibility vest in their vehicle. David Hopkinson, the company’s chief executive, explains why...
Risks lurk aplenty in ‘grey’ fleets
Philip Somarakis, partner in the Oxford office of UK law firm Blake Lapthorn Tarlo Lyons and secretary of the southern region of ACFO (Association of Car Fleet Operators), urges employers to tread carefully before allowing staff to drive their own vehicles on business...
Special feature
Driving: hobby or vocation?
The Government is looking at reforming driver training and testing and developing vocational qualifications for at-work drivers, reports ASHLEY MARTI N, while JOHN MASLEN gauges fleet reaction to the idea...
Over-arching post-test training brand suggested
Less than 0.5% of driving licence holders have passed an advanced test, and fewer than 10,000 advanced tests are conducted each year – but now at-work drivers can gain BTECs in driving...
Mixed reaction from fleets over proposal
The fleet industry has given a mixed reaction to Government proposals that could see all at-work drivers given a sustained programme of continuous driver training in future...
Fleets say: make ESC a standard fitment
Fleets say electronic stability control (ESC) should be standard-fit on all new cars – once they are told of its life-saving benefits, writes Ashley Martin...
A grey area of fleet safety
Using private cars on company business – operating a ‘grey’ fleet – is proving one of the biggest risks facing firms. ASHLEY MARTI N reports...
Time to invest in safety
Investors in People has been successfully implemented by thousands of companies to help them improve the way they work. As a result, road safety leaders are discussing the possible introduction of an ‘Investors in Fleet Safety’ standard. Ashley Martin reports...
When road safety could mean life or death...
Driver training is not just about improving motorists’ risk awareness on UK roads. It is also about ensuring workers are safe when they are employed in hostile environments around the world, reports Ashley Martin...