Vehicle Safety
In conjunction with a desire for better Vehicle Safety conditions - The THINK! Driving for Work campaign was launched to remind people who drive vans for work to take more care while driving.
It is estimated that around 200 road deaths and serious injuries each week involve someone at work. That means an estimated one third of all crashes involves somebody who was at work at the time - that’s a tragic waste of about 1,000 lives every year.
In the last 10 years, the number of vans in the UK has increased by around one third and van traffic by 40%. There are now three million vans on Britain's roads, and the annual volume of new registrations is around 320,000. The home delivery sector in particular has seen phenomenal growth recently due to internet shopping demands. New van drivers are being recruited to accommodate this growth - for many of these driving for work is a secondary requirement to their core task.
The initial phase of the Driving for Work campaign will primarily focus on informing people who drive vans for work of the potential hazards of work related driving, focusing on the primary hazards of:
- speed (due to time pressure);
- distractions (mobile phones, drinking, reading maps); and
- journey planning (fatigue).
The overarching message that supports the campaign is:
‘Around 200 road deaths and serious injuries each week involve someone at work. THINK!’
Target Audience
Male van drivers primarily aged 17-39, who drive as part of their work.
Driving for Work - Employers
As an employer, manager or supervisor you have a legal responsibility to ensure the health and safety of all employees while they are at work. Health and safety law applies to on-the-road work activities as it does to all work activities.
All Information provided by The Think! Road Safety Website. For more Road Safety Information including printed literature please visit:
VISIT think.direct.gov.uk
What drink driving could cost you;
- A court conviction.
- A driving ban of at least 12 months.
- An endorsement of your driving licence for 11 years.
- A criminal record.
If you get caught drink driving then the above is the minimum that will happen to you. You may also be liable to a fine of up to £5,000 and up to 6 months in prison.
But nothing on that list reflects the everyday consequences of being caught drink driving. To understand that, you'll have to use your imagination.
So imagine for a moment relying on your friends and family to drive you wherever you need to go:
- Planning even the most basic trip to the cinema or shops around your local bus or train schedule;
- Having to sell your car to pay a hefty fine or just watching it rust away for 12 months.
Now picture yourself having to find a new job because without a licence you can’t drive to work, or drive for work:
- Plenty of employers refuse to hire people with criminal records;
- How will it feel explaining the story of your criminal record at every job interview you go to?
It won’t happen to me
Last year, around 100,000 drivers across the country thought they could get away with drink driving.
If you think you won’t get caught, you’re wrong. The police are trained to spot all the tricks drink drivers use to avoid being caught:
- They can ask you to take a breath test just for suspecting you’ve been drinking or if you commit a traffic offence whilst driving;
- You don’t need to be involved in a crash.
All Information provided by The Think! Road Safety Website. For more Road Safety Information including printed literature please visit:
VISIT think.direct.gov.uk
Call a Quadrant Van specialist on 01443 674141
With over 35 years experience in supplying new and used commercial vehicles, Quadrant Vehicles can offer you great prices along with a great service.
