Whether at home or at work, January can be a great time for setting goals for the year ahead. The fleet sector may be looking towards electric vehicles, low emission zones and Brexit changes, but you can set smaller goals for your fleet to help the transition into 2020. Below are a few driving tips to help keep business drivers safe throughout the year:
- New vehicle. Check out our tips for drivers getting behind the wheel of a new car or van for the first time. It’s important to take care when driving new vehicles and it’s worth looking into the emissions and company car tax rates before choosing.
- Eyesight. Being the year of ‘2020’, business drivers who also work with DSE (Display Screen Equipment) may be entitled to free eye checks, but it is ultimately the responsibility of each driver to ensure they’re fit to drive. Ask your drivers to check if they can read a number plate clearly from 20 metres.
- Weather. Heed weather warnings all year round. Winter can cause delays and the last thing fleets need are drivers off the road due to incidents caused by bad weather; it might be worth postponing journeys in severe cases.
- Year-round maintenance. A robust fleet policy will detail driver’s responsibilities when it comes to daily vehicle checks, but making sure windows, lights, mirrors and number plates are clean is also important.
- Eco-driving. Business drivers can make huge fuel savings by adopting eco-driving techniques. Take a look at our fuel saving tips for more info on making your fleet more efficient.
- Anticipate. Consider what the traffic and other people around you may do, especially at traffic lights, roundabouts and junctions. Many of our advanced drivers and riders will recognise O.A.P as one of the key principles of advanced motoring and following these stages of making all-round observations, anticipating how what you see will affect you, and planning for a worst case scenario will help drivers to effectively deal with hazards.
- Refresh. Professional drivers often receive no training beyond their initial test, meaning it’s always worth refreshing their skills. Our fleet training solutions offer a wide-range of courses to help them develop as professional and safer drivers – click here to find out more.
Richard Gladman, head of driving and riding standards, says: “The New year is a common time for people to reflect and evaluate their goals for the upcoming year. Why not begin by incorporating your driving behaviour into your list of resolutions for 2020? Why not resolve to make it better this year?”
