Fleet managers are required to manage health and safety risks to workers driving freight vehicles as part of their business activities, but even if that wasn’t the case, improved health and safety precautions mean:

• Increased morale
• Reduced workforce stress
• Less risk of downtime, both to the workforce and the vehicles
• Reduced insurance premiums
• Less risk of late delivery penalties, failed deliveries, and other avoidable costs

Through these, improved road safety can also mean better ongoing relationships with customers and a stronger fleet.

Investing in Road Safety

Investing in road safety is therefore highly recommended. There are two primary avenues to be followed here; training and road safety equipment.

Driver Training

Comprehensive driver training is necessary to ensure that drivers adhere to safe practices and comply with specific haulage regulations. These require updating as and when regulations are updated and when new equipment or vehicles adjusts best practice.

Drivers should regularly train to ensure they remain aware of common hazards, including knowing how to share the road responsibly with other road users. The specifics will vary if you drive vans, tankers, light commercial vehicles, rigid vehicles, or articulated vehicles. It’s important to stay aware of blind spots, turning circles, stopping distances, etc., and to know how a full load affects any or all of these, especially in poor weather.

Road Safety Equipment

At Vision Techniques we supply solutions for vehicle safety, security, and for fleet monitoring. Every fleet is different, and the specific equipment needed may vary, but especially for hauliers, improved braking systems provide an immediate boost to vehicle safety, reducing the risk of collisions and other incidents.

For example, the VT Banksman Auto Braking Radar System allows for automatic braking when the onboard radar identifies a collision risk. This can be paired with vehicle cameras to provide footage demonstrating lack of culpability in the event that another driver collides with your vehicle.

Systems like the VT Brakesafe System eliminates vehicle roll aways which can be particularly useful for haulage vehicles when you may have to park on an incline.

Increasingly in large urban zones minimum safety standards are being introduced, many of them modelled after London’s Direct Vision Standard. We designed a DVS Progressive Safe System to help bring existing vehicles up to that standard, and so equipping your fleet with these allows you to take contracts that might not otherwise have been an option, making them an exceptional investment.

This is part of a wider suite of systems designed to protect vulnerable road users. If you often operate in built-up areas, these can improve your insurance premiums and reduce the risk of unfortunate incidents.

To discuss your specific needs, why not email us through info@vision-techniques.com or call us on 01254 679 717?