28/10/2013

Bad Driver Behaviour Comes Under The Spotlight

There are 3 million vans registered in the UK and light commercial vehicle traffic is expected to grow by 80% in the next 25 years.

The Energy Saving Trust calls them “the workhorse of our economy.” But with an increase in LCV’s, there has also been an increase in bad driver behaviour. A recent European study has put van drivers under the spotlight, and here at G-Force we thought we’d highlight some of the findings.

Dangerous driving is reckless, selfish and hazardous to other road users but carries an economic cost as well. Heavy braking, harsh acceleration and wild steering can all have an impact on the maintenance costs of a vehicle. And bad road habits also contribute to the amount of fuel used by your vehicles as well. Driving at 70mph, for instance, uses 15% more fuel than at 50mph.

More Careful in Their Own Vehicle

A recent survey of European drivers, conducted by TomTom, found that 39% of UK based van drivers said they drove more carefully in their personal vehicles, than in the works van.

A staggering 76% of UK van drivers admitted to speeding to complete jobs, with 59% saying that time pressures meant they were more likely to speed and 24% even admitting to doing so regularly.

And who foots the bill for these speeding offences? Not the drivers, but the companies they work for. 33% of companies end up forking out on speeding fines on their drivers’ behalf.

Lack of Training

So how can we change the culture of dangerous driving that exists around many of the UK’s LCV operators? Proper training is a great place to start. 79% of drivers surveyed say that they have never received training for their job role, and of those that do receive training, only 2% say they are given regular training on a monthly basis. Over half said that they received training as little as once a year.

Most drivers, however, said they would welcome proper training, with 54% of those surveyed saying they would be willing to change their driving habits.

Better Technology Needed

The other way to improve driver behaviour is through technology, to monitor fuel efficiency and performance. TomTom offer a range of products that can help to make your drivers more efficient, punctual and safer, whilst saving you money on fuel and maintenance costs. Yet, despite the obvious benefits of this technology, only 35% of companies use it in their vehicles. This results in bad driving behaviour, which could quite easily be monitored and rectified, with the right kit.

With the right training and proper measuring of performance, you can help your drivers to perform safely on the roads, keeping themselves and the public safe and saving you money on maintenance, fuel and speeding fines.

To read the full survey from TomTom, complete with UK based results and the full research summary, click here.

For more information about how you can help your drivers behave more considerately on the road, give G-Force a call on 01928 715 724 and speak to our team about providing the proper technology for your fleet.

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