Fleet Training For Your Company

Blue School of Motoring can offer a cost effective training programme for your company car or van drivers

• We will provide the trainers, to asses your staff.
• We will work with you and structure a
• We will write a Risk Assessment document that provides guidance for all staff.
• We will provide expert guidance and advice long after our first visit to your company.
• We will audit and assess any new drivers joining your organisation.
• We will provide Hazard Perception software to assess staff before they go behind the wheel.

Find A Course That You Require

Driver Risk Assessment

Eco Driver Training

Defensive Driving

Accident Control Driver Training

Speed Awareness Courses

ONLINE Driver Training

For more information on the benefits of our program click here

Assessing risks on the road

Risk assessments for any work-related driving activity should follow the same principles as risk assessments for any other work activity. You should bear in mind that failure to properly manage work-related road safety is more likely to endanger other people than a failure to properly manage risks in the workplace.

A risk assessment is nothing more than a careful examination of what at work activities can cause harm to people. It helps you to weigh up whether you have done enough to ensure safe working practices or should do more to prevent harm.

Your risk assessment should be

Appropriate to the circumstances of your organisation and does not have to be over complex or technical. It should be carried out by a competent person with a practical knowledge of the work activities being assessed.

For most small businesses, and the self-employed, the hazards will be easy to identify. Employers who employ less than five people do not have to record their findings, but they may find it helpful to make some changes. These changes could save you money on:

• Fuel
• Insurance
• Sick Days
• Vehicle Repairs

 

Eco Driving Tips

What with today’s fuel prices as a good indicator the need to reduce fuel consumption, and of course the ever present problem of global warming is a great driving factor that we all can’t ignore, unless you want to die young and kill your children. I’m sure were all sick and tired of being told to clean up our act at home by using less energy, not wasting food, recycling more, it can be tiresome, driving is no different. Well just a bit, for instance you are in charge of a piece of machinery that if driven recklessly could kill a pedestrian, unlike your toaster. For any body who is required to drive to work or has to drive for work, then a few simple changes to the way you drive can save you money and if we all do it, then it can greatly reduce the harmful effect our vehicles have on the environment.   If you own a fleet of vehicles then the savings could be great.

 

Taking a short journey in your car can use more fuel, so the obvious answer is not to use the car, if only life could be that simple, so don’t hop on your bike just yet. If you have to use your car there are a range of simple driving techniques you can use to reduce your fuel bill.

 

Anticipation and planning is what we do all day long, even when we are not driving.  Here are a few tips on driving more economically.  Don’t leave your braking so late, this increases wear and tear on your car and accelerating away at junctions will also increase fuel consumption.

 

Look well ahead use the far horizon as your starting point, then drop your view to the middle distance, keep a good gap from the vehicle in front remember the two second rule, then check your lane positioning, just over your bonnet.  By constantly changing your view you can react in plenty of time to vehicles in front braking too late, so that you can have time to check your mirrors and then apply your brakes progressively.

 

30% of all accidents are caused by drivers anticipating too late and colliding with the vehicle in front, the two second rule works by using the vehicle in front, as they pass a fixed point, like a speed sign or a tree, you count off “only a fool breaks the 2 second rule” you should have finished counting by the time you reach that fixed point. It’s something we all have been taught, but sometimes we forget.

 

Stick to the speed limit, don’t exceed the limit it kills people. The excessive use of speed will also reduce your fuel efficiency, and cost you money on a higher fuel bill. Accelerating from 10 miles to 30 in the shortest distance possible is pointless, you run the risk of not seeing developing hazards in time and then having to break harshly, remember plan well ahead.

 

Speed is an important factor, too many people accelerate because of late decisions at junctions or change up to higher gear way too late, if you can hear your engine screaming or see your rev counter near the red mark, then your wasting fuel.  Anticipate the speed you will be at sooner, check your rev counter and make certain it does not exceed 2000 revs for petrol cars or 2500 for diesel ones, before changing gears.

 

Tyre pressures are important always check your tyres in the manufactures guide, either in the handbook or on the side of the tyre, this reduces costs and environmentally harmful emissions from lower fuel consumption.  Correct tyre pressure provides better overall safety through greater driving stability and longer tyre durability.

 

These all common sense tips and most of all being a driver you can influence others with you, especially if you’re a parent, don’t forget your children watch you drive and could pick up bad habits for life, drive sensibly and point out bad drivers.

 

Damien Burke

Driving Instructor

0800 234 6823

Blue School of Motoring

www.blueschoolofmotoring.com