In a recent blog post we examined some good ideas for a fleet manager’s New Year’s resolutions and are now going to look at something similar but this time with respect to fleet drivers. So, let’s have a look at what drivers might need to improve upon in the coming year in our list of new year's resolutions for fleet drivers!
#1 - Know your skills and your limits
According to common opinion, backed up with research, the vast majority of drivers think that they are better than average. But this general assumption is based on the fact that maybe these drivers, or even you, have never experienced an accident (thank God!).
Are you absolutely certain that you have never been surprised by an unexpected event such as a red light or a pedestrian crossing the road, causing you to brake harshly, or a sharp change in weather conditions which made you realise that driving isn’t as straight forward and automated a process as you would like to think? Exactly. So make sure you know your skills and your limitations and be open to any kind of training or safety initiative that might be available in your company.
#2 - Do the necessary health checks
Most drivers actually see health checks as something that could be prejudicial for people who depend on driving for a living ... always wary of the potential risk of losing their licence. The truth is that if you do the necessary checks and take care of yourself, you can quickly detect if you might have the kind of condition that could potentially become a problem vis-à-vis driving for a living and, when possible, take the appropriate therapy to help you retain your licence.
Never deliberately hide your health conditions as it might result in serious consequences for you, other road users, and your company.
#3 - No distractions at all!
Whether using mobile phones, tablets, writing text messages or even just eating or drinking behind the wheel … every distraction can be extremely dangerous for you and the rest of the people on the road. It can never be emphasised enough: apart from the obvious risk of sanctions, which of course would seriously impact the validity of your driver’s licence, the top concern for you should be the rest of the people on the road! So, we hope you have done it already ... if not, make a serious commitment to avoid ANY type of driving distraction.
