Winter Driving Safety: Essential Tips for the Season

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As temperatures begin to plummet and days shorten, winter brings with it a host of unique challenges for drivers. With ice, heavy rain, and snow potentially creating hazardous road conditions, it is crucial to prepare thoroughly for safe travel during the colder months, so here are a few vital winter driving tips to keep you safe on the road.

1. Prioritise Car Maintenance

Before venturing out, ensure your vehicle is winter-ready. A well-maintained vehicle is less prone to breakdowns and accidents in adverse weather. Check your tyres for sufficient tread depth; the UK legal minimum is 1.6mm, but more is better for wet and icy conditions. Regularly inspect and top up fluids such as screen-wash to prevent vision impairment from road grime. A properly serviced vehicle not only runs efficiently but enhances your safety by preventing mechanical failures​.

2. Mind Your Speed and Distance

Wet surfaces significantly reduce tyre grip, doubling stopping distances. To compensate, maintain a larger gap from the vehicle ahead. Use the classic two-second rule in dry conditions but extend this to at least four seconds on wet roads for added safety. Always approach turns and junctions at a reduced speed to avoid skidding​.

3. Handle Snow and Ice with Care

Driving in snow requires patience and foresight. Start your journey early and avoid harsh acceleration or braking, which could lead to skidding. If you encounter an ice patch, gently lift your foot off the accelerator without applying the brakes, allowing the vehicle to slow naturally.

4. Visibility Matters

Short winter days and poor weather conditions can impair visibility. Regularly clean your windscreen, windows, and mirrors for maximum clarity. Ensure that your lights are functioning correctly, as they are crucial for being seen and seeing others. It’s worth noting that automatic lights may not activate in daytime fog or heavy rain—manually switch them on to ensure proper visibility​.

5. Cautiously Navigate Waterlogged Roads

Driving through standing water can be deceptively dangerous. If faced with a flooded road, proceed at a slow and steady pace, ideally staying in the centre where water tends to be shallower. Sudden acceleration through water can create a bow wave, potentially flooding the engine or compromising vehicle control. After traversing a waterlogged section, test your brakes gently to ensure they are working properly​.

6. Watch for Fatigue

Cold weather can lead to longer journey times, which may increase driver fatigue. Rest regularly during long trips and stay alert to signs of drowsiness. If you feel tired, take a break, pulling over to a safe place for a short rest could prevent an accident​.

7. Pack a Winter Emergency Kit

Be prepared for unexpected situations. Equip your vehicle with essentials such as a blanket, water, snacks, a torch, de-icer, an ice scraper, and a first-aid kit. These items can be a lifeline if your vehicle breaks down or you become stuck​, and don’t forget, a fully charged mobile phone or even better, a spare charger and lead.

Final Thoughts

Winter driving can be unpredictable, but taking preventive measures will help ensure your journeys are as safe as possible. From proper car maintenance to defensive driving techniques, checking local weather reports and setting off earlier are sensible and proactive approaches that can make all the difference during the colder months.

Stay safe, drive smart, and prepare for every trip this winter.

Driving for Work: Who Says It’s a Legal Requirement to Manage?

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That’s a question I get asked time and time again, and for many, the idea that there is a legal requirement to manage driver safety comes as a bit of a surprise.

I’ll explain…

When and employee drives on behalf of their employer, excluding their commute to and from their normal place of work, their vehicle becomes their workplace and therefore the duty of care requirements to manage the safety and wellbeing of their staff is the responsibility of the employer, it falls under the Health & Safety at work act and a few other pieces of legislation.

This applies to all sorts of organisations, not just businesses, but charities, educational establishments, volunteer groups, in fact, any organisation that has people who drive in order to carry out work on behalf of that organisation. This includes employees as well as those providing their time as a volunteer.

The Health and Safety Executive have for many years published guidelines, explaining to employers exactly what they need in place to meet these duty of care obligations, but, this is an area of health and safety that is all too often neglected, not deliberately, but because…

You don’t know what you don’t know…

I get that; however, ignorance of the law will never stack up in Court!
If an employee gets involved in a serious road traffic incident, investigations may well come the employers way, this is when they will discover the hard way, what they should have had in place.

Should it be deduced that their arrangements for managing driver safety were inadequate, the organisation could end up in Court…

Fines for a breach in health and safety are based on a percentage of turnover, typical starting point fines are 20% of turnover…

Who has that kind of money stashed away, as a ‘just in case’?

Or for the more serious cases, a custodial sentence under the Corporate Manslaughter Act, it’s the person at the top, the controlling mind of the organisation that will have to take one for the team, a prison sentence is not a nice one to have to take!

But we don’t have anyone who drives a company vehicle, they all drive their own vehicle, so we are okay, right?

Nope, sorry to burst that bubble, as far as the law is concerned, you have the same duty of care towards those who drive their own vehicle for work as you do for those who drive company provided vehicles, it’s referred to as your grey fleet, I’ll cover this in more detail in another blog.

So, here’s the basics…

If you have five or more employees, and any of those drive a vehicle as part of their job, regardless of how frequent, or whether it’s in their own vehicle or one supplied by the organisation, driver safety must be managed and documented.

Have you got it covered?

If you want to know whether you cover driver safety adequately, click HERE to go to my website media page, on there is a short video, about 6 minutes, it shows what happens when the Police come knocking on your door following an incident involving one of your employees.

As you watch this video, imagine you are the MD being interviewed by the Police Officer, would you (right now) be able to provide him with everything he is asking for, or, would you be running around like a headless chicken?

Let’s talk!

If you feeling a tad concerned, let’s have a chat, I’ll explain how easy it is and without breaking the bank, how you could have everything in place so you could say ‘yes’ to that Police officer.

Thank you to Road Safe NI Charity for allowing me to use this video.

It’s Our Fifth Birthday

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We are celebrating our fifth birthday.

Adrian Hide Consultancy was launched by road safety expert Adrian Hide in 2018 and since then it’s gone from strength to strength.

Based in Cheadle, Staffordshire we specialise in delivering a range of face to face and on-line road safety courses for businesses who have staff that drive for work purposes, as well as consultancy services, and driver risk management support and advice.

Since it was launched, Adrian has trained more than 500 drivers and has worked with nearly 40 businesses to introduce robust driver risk management programmes.

He also works in partnership with Road Safe Northern Ireland, MDEL Fleet management as well as a team of different insurance brokers.

During his time in business Adrian’s biggest challenge was surviving lockdown where he had almost 18 months without any client facing work. He used that time to create a number of online driver training courses, including Safer Van Driving, Eco-Safe Driving (for business car drivers) and Electric Vehicles – (a course for those new to driving electric vehicles) – all of which are continuing to run very successfully today.

Adrian has more than 30 years road safety experience, including 13 as an approved driving instructor, 13 with Staffordshire County Council, the last seven of which he headed up road safety training and education for the whole county. He then worked with a private road safety company for around six years.

Adrian said: “I have spent my entire career working in road safety and it’s something I am passionate about. When I set the business up my aim was to help make the roads safer by giving businesses the tools to keep their drivers safe when they were behind the wheel – whether that was through training or helping create driver risk management programmes. That’s still the case today. Essentially, I want to help businesses manage the risks associated with their on-road driving activities, ensuring that the business, its people and its reputation are protected.

“I love my job and working with the fantastic businesses I do but it hasn’t always been easy. Lockdown was difficult because a lot of my business involved delivering face to face training. I had to move quickly and look at different ways of delivering my services. I invested in equipment and set about creating and developing a range of on-line training courses. Thankfully it paid off and the on-line training sessions are now part of my offering so that businesses have a choice of face to face or virtual.

“My clients and their needs come first – trust, honesty, transparency and integrity are very important to me and I think that’s why the business has gone from strength to strength. I’m delighted to be celebrating the company’s 5thbirthday, but I couldn’t have done it without the fantastic client base I have. I’m really looking forward to the next five and seeing where the journey takes me,” he added.

Adrian Hide Consultancy offer a range of face to face and on-line road safety courses, as well as consultancy services, and driver risk management support and advice. For more information, please go to: www.adrianhideconsultancy.co.uk, call 07973 337251 or email hello@adriahideconsultancy.co.uk

Safer Van Driving

Safer Van Driving

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You probably know that it’s perfectly legal to drive a van on a car licence, but did you know there are other things to bear in mind, if you’re getting behind the wheel of a van?

And if you have a team of van drivers working for you, and you’re not sure of the extra precautions they should be taking to stay safe on the roads, can you be sure they’re aware of them too?

Here are just a few things to think about that might not have crossed your mind:

  • If you’re driving a van on a national speed limit road, vans are restricted to 10 mph less than a car – we’re always surprised by the amount of people that we train who don’t know that.
  • Watch out for the maximum permitted weight. Van drivers need to understand how to read a VIN plate as that’s where its maximum carrying weight will be listed. 
  • Always allow for extra stopping distance – especially in wet or icy conditions: Vans are typically heavier and larger than cars, which means they require more time and distance to come to a complete standstill.
  • Secure your load – if you’re carrying loads in your van, make sure they’re properly secured, and the weight is distributed to avoid shifting or tipping while you’re driving.
  • Don’t forget about height restrictions – vans are often taller than cars so if you’re driving through tunnels, underpasses or bridges, or even carparks with height restrictions, take these into consideration.
  • Blind spots – vans typically have larger blind spots than cars, so it’s important to take extra care when checking your mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes or making a turn.
  • Adjust your driving style – vans have a higher centre of gravity than cars, which means they are more prone to tipping over in sharp turns or on uneven terrain.  Take things more slowly so you can avoid the pitfalls.
  • Long wheelbase vans need more turning space when entering or leaving junctions with tight corners, be especially careful that your van doesn’t put pedestrians in danger when in such situations. 
  • Silence is golden, or is it? If you’re driving an electric van, be mindful that they are super quiet at low speeds which can pose a danger to pedestrians.
  • And last but not least – always be aware of your surroundings. As we’ve said vans have larger blind spots than cars, so make sure you’re always vigilant to what’s going on around you and keep an eye out for other road users, particularly pedestrians and cyclists – so you can be as safe as possible. If you can – reverse into parking bays.

Employers shouldn’t take it for granted that van drivers know all of this. Unless they’ve received specific training, there’s a danger that some essential knowledge might be missing. If the driver gets involved in a serious accident, the police will almost certainly ask the business to evidence what training was provided. If this happened to one of your drivers, could you demonstrate the right level of training had been given, if at all? If alarm bells are ringing, don’t worry we can help. Our online Safer Van Driving course explains everything a van driver needs to know and it’ll help you as an employer meet your duty of care requirements. Get in touch to find out more.

Are Your Drivers Being Distracted By Their Mobile Phones?

Are Your Drivers Being Distracted By Their Mobile Phones?

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Unfortunately – all too often stories hit the press where people have been injured or even killed on the roads – because the driver was using a mobile phone at the time.

That’s despite the law changing last year so that as well as sending a message or making a call on a handheld phone – drivers are now not allowed to take photos film videos, play games or scroll through music.

If they do get caught doing any of the above, they can face up to six points on their license and a £200 fine – that’s as well as the potential risk to other road users, pedestrians, cyclists and the like.

But the law didn’t affect hands free devices – that’s whether your mobile is in a cradle or connected via Bluetooth, despite evidence-based research showing that the distraction factor of using a mobile phone while behind the wheel is almost as great for hands-free calls as it is for hand-held calls.  

It’s because of the cognitive processes needed to listen, think, and talk while you’re engaging in a high-demand task, like driving. Another startling fact is that the impairment factor is similar to that of being just over the drink drive limit – how scary is that? *

Most of us would think that having a conversation hands-free on the phone is the same as chatting to a passenger sitting next to you, but it’s actually very different. The caller won’t know what the situation is that you are driving in – they can carry on speaking and not know that someone’s pulled out in front of you, or there’s a pedestrian trying to cross the road, meaning you need to be fully concentrating. A passenger though can visibly see that you need to focus and will go quiet so you can concentrate and focus.

In today’s fast paced society – there is a tendency to believe that we can multitask, when in fact in reality we switch from task to task. That means that your attention will switch from the driving task to that of dealing with the call. Distracted drivers see 50% less hazards than drivers who are paying full attention to the road. Again – scary stuff.

Can you be sure your drivers aren’t being distracted by their mobile phones? Have you referenced it in your Driver Risk Policy? Do you even have one? If not, we can help. We can also help with driver safety training.

To find out more about mobile phones and the law go to the Government’s website: LINK

*Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) study “How dangerous is driving with a mobile phone? Benchmarking the impairment to alcohol” by P C Burns, A Parkes, S Burton, R K Smith (TRL Limited) and D Burch. The research found that the reaction time of texting drivers is 2.8 times more than those on the drink-drive limit. For using a hand-held phone, the reaction time is 3.5 times more than those at the drink-drive limit.

Electric Cars

Adrian Answers Our Questions About EV Range

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If you talk to anyone about electric vehicles, especially if they’re thinking of making the switch from diesel or petrol to an EV – one thing that always comes up is their range. We thought we’d delve a little deeper by asking Adrian to explain more…

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New partnership formed with Road Safety NI

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Businesses in Northern Ireland can now access three online driver training courses via a newly formed partnership between Adrian Hide Consultancy and Road Safe NI.

We have three courses to offer, one for car drivers, one for van drivers, and a special Electric Vehicle familiarisation course, ideal for those moving over to electric vehicles for the first time, or, for those who just want to get the best from these amazing vehicles. We cover a whole host of topics that EV drivers need to know, meaning that they won’t be saying further down the line, ‘I wish I knew that sooner’.

Because each course is modular, participants can progress at their own pace, tackling bite-sized units one at a time. Once the course has been completed, a certificate will be automatically issued, providing evidence that the course has been done successfully.

As well as businesses being able to invest in the safety of their staff, the courses contribute towards an employer’s duty of care obligations under the health and safety law, and the Charity will benefit too because for every course purchased, Road Safe NI will receive a percentage, thereby supporting the excellent road safety work that they do.

If you are a business in NI, and you’d like to know more about our driver training courses, and a special offer that we’ve set up through Road Safe NI, please get in touch.

Don’t go from propping up the bar to behind bars!

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The Christmas countdown is on and the festive party season is well and truly upon us.

Whether it’s a night out with work colleagues at the pub, you’re getting glammed up for the office do, or it’s a festive night out with your family – if you’re celebrating with a drink, getting a taxi or walking home, or nominating a designated driver are always the best ways to make sure you get home safely.

 We don’t want to be killjoys but getting behind the wheel when you’ve consumed alcohol is always a risk – can you be sure you’re not over the limit? Drink driving not only puts yours and other people’s lives at risk, it can carry hefty penalties, driving bans and of course a prison sentence. Is one too many at that family festive bash, really worth ruining Christmas and so much more?

The chances of getting breathalysed at this time of year will undoubtedly increase – especially with the World Cup in full swing. According to Road Safety GB, police across England and Wales breathalysed more than 37,000 drivers last December – that’s more than twice the average for the other months of the year. Last December, their figures show that a total of 3,840 drivers tested positive (or refused to provide a sample) – a failure rate of more than 10%.

Let’s not forget alcohol affects everyone differently. One person could have four pints of medium-strength lager and not tell they’ve had it (obviously they shouldn’t drive though), another could have a glass of Christmas Cosmo and it goes straight to their heads. If in any doubt don’t drive – either drink and don’t drive, or don’t drive and drink – then you know exactly where you are.

The time alcohol stays in your system really varies too. It depends on a variety of factors, including your age, weight, sex, and metabolism, the kind of alcohol you’ve drunk, how much you’ve drunk and over what time-period as well as what you’ve had to eat.

Just because you’ve slept, after a night out on the town, doesn’t mean all the alcohol you drank has left your system. There’s a realistic chance that you could still be well over the limit the morning after the party the night before.

Let’s look at how it works  – on average it takes an hour for one unit to leave your body. Even if you’ve had a good eight hours’ sleep and don’t feel hungover it can still be in your bloodstream.

And there’s absolutely nothing you can do to speed up the process – contrary to popular belief, a massive mug of coffee might make you feel slightly better the next morning, but it won’t make any difference to how much alcohol is still in your system. The only thing that can help you is time. If you’re under any doubt whatsoever the next morning, don’t risk it by getting behind the wheel.

Don’t forget the rules around drugs driving too: https://www.gov.uk/drug-driving-law

Having said all this – we won’t want to put a dampener on you enjoying the Christmas period – we just want you to be aware of dangers so that you can hit the town and get home safely.

Have an amazing Christmas and New Year – we hope you have an incredible festive season and one that’s happy, healthy and safe.

Don’t forget we can help you keep your drivers’ safe and manage your driver risk. For a full list of services and to see the training we offer please go to: www.adrianhideconsultancy.co,uk

Safe Roads for All

Brake Road Safety Week

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Today marks the start of Road Safety Week – with the theme being Safe Roads for All.
And in our line of work – it’s important as it brings together communities and professionals to champion keeping our roads safe for everyone.

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Stay safe in the dark

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Did you know that four out of ten collisions happen at night? That’s according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA).

With the nights drawing in and the clocks having gone back you may find that more of your workforce are driving at in less than perfect conditions – so we thought we’d share some of our top tips for driving in the dark to help keep them safe.

Take a Rest

If you’re driving long distances with work, it’s vital you stop and take a break.

Tiredness can lower you concentration levels and slow your reaction times. Driving in the dark can increase the risk.

If you’re opening the window to try and stay awake you definitely need to be pulling over for a rest.

Plan ahead and try and rest for at least 15 minutes every two hours. As the very well know phrase goes: “Tiredness can kill, take a break.”

Keep an Eye on Your Vision

Did you know that you must be able to read a UK number plate from 20 metres away. If you can’t and you’re caught behind the wheel you could end up having your licence taken off you.

If you’re struggling to read a number plate from that distance – it’s time to book in with your optician and get your eyes checked.

The NHS recommends that you have your eyes tested every two years to make sure there have been no changes.

Car Maintenance is Key

The night’s drawing in – normally goes hand in hand with the weather getting worse.

Make sure your screen-wash is topped up so that if grime from the road does hit your windscreen you can clear it quickly without risking your visibility.

No-one wants to break down but breaking down in the winter in the dark can be even worse so make sure your car or van is serviced annually to try and avoid costly breakdowns.

Stick to the Speed Limit.

You should always stick to the speed limit and in the dark it’s much better to give yourself extra time to react.

Going that little bit slower will help you keep an eye out for any potential hazards including cyclists, dog walkers, wildlife or pedestrians wanting to cross the road as well as giving you more time to take action if needed.

Watch Your Lighting

Today’s vehicles are fitted with so much technology – it can be easy to just press the start button and go without benefitting from it.

Make sure everything’s set to what it should be – especially your lights, and remember, auto on/off lights will not operate in daytime fog, snow or rain, you must turn them on manually!

The glare from oncoming traffic’s headlights can be a distraction – avoid looking into them directly and look at the left-hand side of the road instead. You can also check your beam alignment too so you’re not momentarily blinding oncoming traffic.

If you find the glare of the screen display too much too – most modern cars have the ability to dim it.

If you have staff that drive for work purposes don’t forget under health and safety legislation you have a duty of care to help keep them safe. We can work with you to give them the right training to help reduce the risks on the roads. To find out more about the training we deliver please take a look at our website Training page.