In the blink of an eye – the consequences of a moment’s distraction on the road

Research from this year’s Road Safety Week (18-24 November) has revealed that nearly a third of drivers claim to have experienced a collision or near miss in the past year .

However, risks are significantly higher for fleet and at work drivers, with one in three road deaths involving a vehicle being driven for work, says DriveTech, part of the AA and specialist in fleet risk and safety management and driver training.

Fleet drivers cited ‘pressure to meet schedules’ as the main reason for taking risks on the road – 12% point to phone calls during journeys, and 4% highlight urgent work emails as the chief cause of their accident.

Colin Paterson, Head of Marketing at DriveTech says,

“Despite statistics demonstrating increased risks for fleet and at work drivers, less than one quarter of companies have regular training for their drivers. At work drivers are far less likely to be involved in a collision caused by substance impairment or speeding than other motorists, however, they are far more likely to engage in other types of risky driving behaviour than individual motorists.”

What could you miss in the blink of an eye?

A momentary lapse in concentration caused by distraction or fatigue is all it can take for a seemingly ‘small’ or ‘every day’ risk to result in a fatal accident. In 2018 alone, the Department for Transport statistics revealed that 520 people were killed as a result of someone driving for work . “In the blink of an eye, a small error can result in a potentially life-changing outcome,” adds Colin Paterson.

Work drivers are:
– 48% more likely to drive while fatigued
– 40% more likely to tailgate
– 40% more likely to commit undertaking errors
– 25% more likely to commit junction errors
– 15% more likely to drive while distracted3

Fleet driving statistics:

• 71% of UK companies do not provide regular training for drivers
• 46% of fleet manager and company drivers did not know what legally constitutes dangerous driving, while 50% did not know the penalty for this offence
• 39% of companies do not have systems or procedures in place to manager driver fatigue and almost a quarter admit that they are not fully aware of their exact requirements for managing road risk

How to correctly mitigate risk

By simply expanding driver risk management approaches, companies could reduce accident rates by as much as 35%. There is an entire range of courses for fleet companies and drivers, which help equip and prepare fleet drivers, mitigate risks and prevent incidents, making roads safer for everyone.

To find out more about DriveTech, visit https://www.drivetech.co.uk/fleet-solutions/driver-risk-and-training