Safer Driver, Safer Journey - 3 things to consider as a Safe Driver

Driving is one of the most dangerous things someone could do at work. In fact, you have a 1 in 8,000 chance of suffering a fatal accident whilst driving. It’s estimated that around a third of all road accidents which happen every year involve somebody who was driving for work; that accounts for 20 deaths and 250 serious injuries every week.

Being a safe driver will mean something different to everyone. And while many people will think that a more experienced driver is a safer driver, this might not be the case. Tiredness, alcohol, stress, and distractions, like mobiles phones, sat-navs, and passengers, are all common factors in the vast majority of accidents and things that can affect how safely someone drives.

It’s easy for any of us to become complacent, so here are 3 of the main things that you should consider and remind yourself of to make sure you’re driving safely when driving for work as well as personal purposes. 

Tiredness

Tiredness kills! We all know the slogan; we’ve all seen the signs on the motorway. They’re there for a reason, because it’s absolutely true. Falling asleep at the wheel accounts for over 300 deaths every year, yet, unlike drink driving, driving while tired doesn’t carry the same stigma, when really it should. 

Tiredness has the same effects on your ability to think, react, and pay attention as alcohol does. In fact, if you haven’t slept in the last 21 hours, your ability to drive is equal to somebody who is over the legal alcohol limit. “It’s fine” you say, “I’ll just have a cup of coffee and turn up the radio and I’ll be as good as new”. If only it were that easy. Unfortunately, there’s no evidence to suggest that turning up the radio or cracking a window will help you wake up. If anything, it could make the problem worse by bombarding your already tired brain with even more sensory input. Similarly, caffeine is a very short-term fix. It can work if you just need to get to a safe location to pull over and rest, but you shouldn’t rely on it to keep you going. 

People who rely on caffeine are more likely to experience what’s known as “micro-sleeps” where they nod off for a few seconds at a time. And a few seconds is enough time to travel quite a distance. Add to that the fact that tiredness affects people most often on long and monotonous roads, like motorways where you may be travelling at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, with just a few seconds sleep you can cover hundreds of feet.

The only sure-fire way to combat tiredness while driving is to get a good night’s sleep. A quick nap, like a coffee, is good enough to get you to a safe location to pull over and sleep properly but without a proper night’s rest, you shouldn’t be driving long distances.

Phones

Mobile phones are the single biggest distraction for drivers, particularly if you’re driving for work; managers, head office, and clients can all demand a lot of your attention. 

Over a third of people who drive for work admit to using their phones while driving and when it begins ringing it can be tempting to take a quick look, just to see who it is.

Taking your eyes off the road for even as little as a second can have tragic consequences. At 30 miles per hour you’ll travel about 40 feet in just one second - that’s roughly the length of three cars. Your manager should understand the risks involved with using a mobile phone while driving and not expect you to always be readily available. 

If you need to use your phone, find somewhere safe to pull over and park and then make the call. Your employer may provide you with a hands-free device and though these are legal to use, they aren’t fool-proof. You’re still 4 times more likely to be involved in an accident than if you weren’t making a call at all.

Road Rage 

Road rage is an unfortunate yet very real part of driving. We’ve all experienced it, on one side of the fence or the other. 

Whether someone has nearly killed you by almost driving you off the road or whether you’ve blamelessly merged lanes while reciting the highway code and someone who clearly has an anger issue starts honking their horn for no possible reason as far as you can tell. We’ve all been there.

Let’s consider a scenario where you’re the victim. You’re driving along at the speed limit and you see the car behind very quickly gaining ground. Soon enough, they’re a few inches away from your back bumper and their angry, red face is filling your rear-view mirror. 

What would you do in this situation?

It may be infuriating and even intimidating to have an angry driver tailgate you, but really, the best thing you can do is not rise to the challenge. Keep a cool head and count to ten, if you have to. If there’s an opportunity to let them pass, make room and let them go. It may feel like a defeat to let an angry driver get away with bad behaviour, but any situation which can be resolved safely is a win for everyone.

Driver Awareness Training

Our Driver Awareness Training course will help raise your awareness of the dangers out on the road and make driving safer for everyone. Users will be given techniques for staying safe on the road, understand what it means to be a safe driver, know how to expect the unexpected and the importance of reading the road. 

Why not get started with a free no-obligation trial today?