Road safety laws are put in place to ensure that everyone is safe on the roads – that includes those driving for pleasure or work – whether that is a motorbike, car, van or truck.
According to the Department for Transport figures, more than a quarter of all road traffic incidents involve somebody who is driving as part of their work at the time.
We know the general laws of the road such as ensuring your vehicle is regularly examined for road-worthiness and sticking to the speed limits. But, if you are driving a commercial vehicle are you aware of the laws specific to you and if so are you being compliant? Perhaps you aren’t aware that there are slightly different laws when it comes to commercial vehicles – but unfortunately this won’t stand up in court if and when you break them!
Whether you lease a van or drive a company truck, there are road safety laws you must be aware of and abide by.
Speed limits: Did you know that the speed limit differs depending on the vehicle you are driving? So, just because the sign says ‘50’ or ‘60’ it doesn’t necessarily mean you would be driving safely even if you were to drive at this speed. Find out the national speed limits for your type of vehicle here.
Load securing: If you are carrying a load you must ensure it is secured correctly. In 2013 there were 22,000 road impact incidents caused by objects falling from vehicles. Find out more about load securing here.
Insurance: Unlike your personal car, you are likely to have a fleet of commercial vehicles and each one could be driven by several different people. So, when it comes to insurance you need to ensure that each vehicle is insured and each individual person has the appropriate insurance. You may want to consider a fleet insurance policy, which offers discount on multiple vehicles.
Tax and MOT: Likewise, each vehicle must have its own tax and have a regular MOT and service to ensure that it is safe to be on the road.
Hours spent driving: There are safety laws when it comes to the hours that can be spent behind a wheel when driving for work. Bus drivers, HGV drivers and delivery drivers can spend their whole working day driving – but anyone who drives as part of their work duties is at risk. Driving hours of goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and some passenger vehicles are regulated by European Community rules, which state the daily driving limit is nine hours, the maximum driving limit is four and a half hours, daily rest period is 11 hours and weekly driving limit is 56 hours.
Alcohol, cigarettes and drugs: It should go without saying that you should not drive any vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. However, when it comes to smoking in a vehicle, laws have changed and differs depending what you are driving. Smoking isn’t allowed in any work vehicle that more than one person uses, such as vans and goods vehicles.
Road safety is incredibly important, so make sure all your employees are aware of the laws and that you are all being compliant.
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