Young Drivers at Work

WELCOME!
Find the seat with your name card and get comfortable
Housekeeping

Fire
alarm
About Today
When someone drives for work, both the employer and the
driver share responsibility for making sure the journeys are as
safe as possible

This is not a lecture! You are the experts

Today is about sharing your experiences

Around 2 ½ hours with a 10 minute refreshment break

Workshop Aims
To develop awareness about specific driving for work issues

To gain insight about what influences your driving at work

To develop coping strategies for situations that occur when

driving for work
To share experiences and learn from each other

To help your organisation to understand how well their driving for

work policies work in practice
Expectations

FROM US FROM YOU

Confidentiality Active participation
Allow all to speak Active listening
Timekeeping Honest responses – no wrong
Improvement from answers!
feedback Complete evaluation forms
Group Shout Out

What Makes a Safe Driver?

SAY WHAT YOU HONESTLY THINK

NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWERS
Observation

 How many spoons?

Observation

 How many spoons?

 What colour was the
tablecloth?
 How many was the table
laid for?
 Was it tea or coffee?
 Toast or croissants?
Observation
Observation
The more observations we make, the better idea we have of what’s going on...
Distractions
Lots of things, such as using a mobile phone, can distract us
when driving
Distraction affects drivers in many ways, including:
Increases cognitive workload
Reduces peripheral observation (tend to look straight ahead)
Less aware of what’s happening around them
Miss hazards
React more slowly

All of which increases the chances of being in a collision.

Young Driver Quotes

“Because of driving in an area that we’re not really familiar with,

it’s a lot harder. I drive in Birmingham when I’m used to driving
in Bridgnorth. It’s a lot different, getting in the correct lane and
stuff, it’s a lot different driving in the city.”

DOES YOUR GROUP AGREE?

Young Driver Quotes

“The test: they try to take you round as many different places as
they can and try to show you all these different situations but
because the test is only there at that time, it could be when
there’s no traffic around, it’s completely different to when
you’re out there driving in real life.”

DOES YOUR GROUP AGREE?

Young Driver Quotes

“It’s all chance, it’s all pot-chance for driving, whether you’ve
got the knowledge to drive good or not, what personality you
are and other road users as well. There’s loads of different
things that cause accidents, it’s not just drivers it could be
anything.”

DOES YOUR GROUP AGREE?

What’s Different About Driving for Work?

Briefly discuss what things are different about driving for work
than driving for other reasons. For example, there are set
deadlines.

Do any of these things make at-work driving more risky?

If so, why?
Accidents at Work
Immediate Factors

Inappropriate speed Vehicle defects

Inattention Excessive alcohol
Falling asleep Driver attitude
Travelling too close Poor judgement
Underlying Factors

Poor journey planning Time management

Internal pressure Vehicle maintenance
Inadequate sleep Driver beliefs
Stress Inadequate experience
Journey Planning Buzz Groups

For a couple of minutes talk to the person next to you about...

Your journey here today

Did you do any planning for it?
Journey Planning Buzz Groups

For a couple of minutes talk to the person next to you about...

A journey you made that didn’t go to plan!

Why did it go awry?
Journey Planning
An example of a journey which you may have to drive for work:

It is 08:00am and you are in Birmingham. You have been

asked to attend a meeting in Bristol at 10.00am.
The meeting is due to last 2 hours, but you have an
appointment back in Birmingham at 2pm.

What Planning Would You Do For Your Journeys?

What Planning Could You Do?
10 Minute Break
Distractions

Call out things that might distract a driver

How might this affect driving?

 Share example of a time something has distracted you when

driving
Mobile Phone Press Reports
In pairs, read one of
the press reports of a
court case involving a
fatal crash caused by
a driver using a
mobile phone
Why did the driver
use the phone?
What could they
have done instead?
Example Mobile Phone Policy

“Whilst the vehicle is in motion, all hand held or hands-free

mobile phones should be turned off, or diverted to Voicemail
or an alternative answering service.

Passengers may use a mobile phone, but drivers should not

be distracted from concentrating on driving safely.”
The Vehicle

With the person sat next to you:

Talk about your positive or negative experiences of driving a

new vehicle for the first time

Be prepared to share with the group

Vehicle Checks
We need to talk about vehicle checks:

What are the most important things to check on a vehicle?

Listen to the person speaking before you and add a related
check!

Is there anything that makes it more difficult to do regular

vehicle checks?
Vehicle Check Policy

Do you know your company policy on vehicle checks?

What do you do if you find a fault?

Tyre Safety Scenario
Jenny has been asked to drive one of the company’s vans.
She checked it beforehand and discovered that two of the
tyres are well below the minimum tread depth.

She told her line manager, but he said she must take the van
out anyway and they will sort the tyres out later.

What is Jenny’s legal liability if she drives the van

What can Jenny do in this situation?
Before Driving Any Vehicle, Check Tyres

Undamaged (no cuts or bulges)

Correct pressure for vehicle and load
Enough tread depth

Legal minimum depth is 1.6mm but above 3mm reduces

braking distance in the wet
Tyre wear!
Tyre Rim Damage!
Managing Road Risk

Fast forward a few years… you’re now a Director. You know

what happens from experience when people first start driving
for work
Part of your job is to manage the risk to staff who drive for
work
What would you do?
What would you include in your policy?
Employer’s Topic
Vans

How is driving a van different to driving a car?

The first person says one difference, the next person repeats
what they said and adds another difference, and so on

How do these differences affect driving?

Top Ten Tips for Staying Within the Limit

Are you more likely to creep over the speed limit in certain
situations?

The first person says one situation when they might creep
over the limit, the next person repeats what they said and
adds another situation, and so on

What can you do to avoid creeping over the limit?

Top Ten Tips for Staying Within the Limit
Check your speedometer regularly, especially when leaving high-speed roads
Know the limits – look for signs, especially at junctions
Assume lamp posts mean 30 mph, until signs say otherwise, but remember it
could be 20 mph
Remember, speed limits are a maximum, not a target
20’s plenty when kids are about – and may even be too fast
Try no higher than 3rd gear in a 30 mph limit
Recognise what makes you speed — keeping up with traffic, overtaking or
being tailgated
Concentrate – distracted drivers speed
Slow down when entering villages
Give yourself time – there’s no need to speed and you usually won’t get
there quicker
What If ...?

YOU WERE SHARING A LIFT WITH A COLLEAGUE AND THEY

WERE PUSHING 100MPH ON THE MOTORWAY.
What If ...?

YOU HAD ‘SEVERAL’ DRINKS ON A NIGHT OUT FOR A

FRIEND’S BIRTHDAY. IT’S THE MORNING AFTER AND YOU’RE
DUE TO DRIVE FOR WORK.
What If ...?

YOU’RE ALARM CLOCK DIDN’T GO OFF AND YOU’RE LATE

FOR WORK.
What If ...?

YOU START TO FEEL VERY TIRED ON A LONG DRIVE

Group Shout Out

What Makes a Safe Driver?

SAY WHAT YOU HONESTLY THINK

NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWERS
Reflection
Write down one key thing you have learned from today’s
workshop

Write down one thing you will do to improve your safety as a

driver
Summary
There are differences between driving for work and driving
for other reasons

But, situations and risks found when driving for work can be
anticipated

Simple coping strategies reduce the risk

Your employer can provide support

Evaluation
Please complete the Evaluation Form before you leave. It will
only take 10 minutes.

Each question has a Before and After answer:

To answer the Before section think about your knowledge or
ability before you attended today’s workshop.
To answer the After section think about your knowledge or
ability now that the workshop is over.

Your answers will help us to evaluate the workshop, and

inform the design and content of future workshops