Driving for Better Business: Winter driving update
Readers of BALI’s quarterly magazine, Landscape News, might be aware the Association is a strategic partner of Driving for Better Business (DfBB), a National Highways initiative aimed at reducing work-related road risk by protecting staff who drive or ride for work, as well as other road users.
Industry identified as a road user requiring improvement actions
Leaders of the DfBB initiative first invited the Association to become strategic partners due to the landscape industry's reliance on light goods vehicles (LGV), a category which includes standard panel vans, as well as derivatives such as crew-cab, box van, chassis cab, tipper, drop-side, compact/car-derived, electric and pick-up vehicles.
Landscaping, and particularly landscape construction and maintenance, sit in a similar category to site-based trades including construction, demolition and engineering, where driving is an integral part of the job role but not always considered as such. This means there is a tendency to overlook the risk posed by work-related driving activities, and the skillset required to safely carry out this aspect of the business activity. Consequently, LGV is a category with a poor record in relation to both accident statistics and roadside vehicle checks.
And it’s not just vans and trailers…
The danger of driving for work is not unique to the landscape industry or to drivers of light commercial vehicles; research reveals driving for work is one of the most dangerous things employees do, and around a third of road deaths (and one fifth of serious injuries) involve someone driving for work, which includes use of a company car or van, pool car or van, or an employees’ own car, van or motorcycle.
See page 32 of the autumn edition of Landscape News for a detailed review of the issues surrounding LGV safety and how to adhere to best practice regarding their safe management: click here
Responsibility placed on employers – and employees
In addition to ensuring the roadworthiness of vehicles, and providing employees with training and procedures for reporting defects, hazards that should be considered by employers as potential causes of harm include:
- roadworks, traffic and congestion
- vehicle condition
- fatigue and distraction
- time pressure
- the weather
- behaviour of other road users
- lone workers
- vulnerable workers
With the temperature forecast to drop below zero later this week, the DfBB team has shared resources with BALI members to ensure managers and fleet operators are aware of their responsibilities in relation to winter driving.
Careless driving is defined under the Road Traffic Act as 'driving falling below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver' (per section 3ZA of the Road Traffic Act 1988). The Crown Prosecution Service, when considering cases of careless driving or dangerous driving, will have regard not only to the circumstances of which the driver could be expected to be aware but also to any circumstances shown to have been within their knowledge. Drivers should have regard to numerous factors, including an awareness of the prevailing weather conditions.
Changes in weather conditions could easily make driving more dangerous, whether these are seasonal changes or weather events. Drivers must be aware of the additional risk that comes with heavy rain, strong winds, fog, high temperatures, low sun, ice and snow – and that they adapt their driving style accordingly.
Drivers must be given longer to make their journey and ensure they are empowered to park up if needs be. Drivers must be prepared for extreme weather conditions, including appropriate clothing, snacks, and drinks to stay hydrated, and to support them in the case of delay.
For full details of the guidance, see DfBB fleet focus: Weather conditions, below.
Further information
