Advice: The four pillars of driving wisdom

By Marc McLoughlin, KeyFleetin association with

The use of a mobile phone whilst driving is proven to be highly dangerous. It is also illegal. A robust policy to address the use of mobile phones should form part of a wider fleet risk and compliance piece for any fleet operator. The Driving at Work Guidelines issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) outline the fundamentals to consider when creating such a policy, of which mobile phone use forms a part. Business are encouraged to consider the four pillars of driving when forming an occupational road risk policy management,

vehicles, journeys and drivers. This is part of introducing a safe driving culture whilst reducing accident rates and the costs associated with them. A study from 2013 shows that almost a third of road-related fatalities were as a result of someone driving for work.Whilst the impact to the driver, passengers and those directly affected is undeniable, also consider the impact to your business.

For those businesses found lacking, the penalties can include director disqualification, public announcements, remedial orders and even imprisonment. The good news is that when you introduce your new policy and start to proactively manage and mitigate these risks the accident rate can reduce and have a direct impact on your insurance and repair costs whilst keeping your employees safe and happy. So it’s worth knowing that your policies are in place and executed; that your drivers are licensed, trained and competent; and that you have accurate and up-to-date maintenance and vehicle upkeep records.As for mobiles on the move, the easiest and most effective way to achieve your objectives could be to prohibit the use of mobile phones entirely. Can that call wait just a little longer? Probably.