Road Safety - RSSB · PDF fileRoad . Safety Matters. A practical guide to safe driving . from...

Road Safety MattersA practical guide to safe driving from Colas Rail.

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Accidents don’t just happen.They always have a cause.

95% of all on-road vehicle incidents are caused partially or wholly by human error.

Driving is the riskiest thing you do on a daily basis. And from time-to-time or as part of your daily role you may be asked to drive a vehicle operated by Colas Rail and we want you to be safe.

Whether it’s a car, van or lorry, this guide provides simple, straightforward advice on how you, your passengers and your vehicle can stay safe on the road.

A practical guide to safe driving 3

Contents

2 Road Safety Matters

3 Introduction4 Safe driving saves lives6 The first 30 minutes of a shift are critical8 Driving while tired is deadly

10 A van is not a car12 Speed Kills14 Watch your back16 Park it safe

18 Are you sitting comfortably20 Belt up22 Park your phone24 Driven to distraction

26 What to do if you have an accident28 Start your journey right30 Whatever the weather

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The facts Last year on UK roads• 1,713peoplekilled• 21,657peopleseriouslyinjured• 160,000minorinjuries• Thisequatesto5deathsand60peopleseriouslyinjuredperday

WorkRelatedRoadDrivingaccountedfor25%-40%ofthese:• 428-685peoplekilled• 5,414-8,663peopleseriouslyinjured• 40,000-64,000minorinjuries• Thisequatesto1-2deathsand 15-24seriouslyperday

Thesadfactisthatnearlyallofthesedeathsandinjuriesarepreventable.

Working,anddrivingsafelyiseveryone’sresponsibility.It’sabouttakingresponsibility,anddoingtherightthing,evenwhennooneelseisaround.

Safe driving saves lives...

...thats why safety matters


Stay safe!Personal safety commitments• Itakeaccountabilityforthe

safety of myself and others• IalwayscomplywiththeLife

saving rules• Iwillinterveneinanysituation

if i believe a behaviour or situation may be unsafe


Always obey the speed limit andwear a seat belt.

Neveruseahand-heldorhands-freephone,orprogrammeanyothermobiledevicewhiledriving.

Alwaysobeythespeedlimitandwearaseatbelt.

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The first 30 minutes of a shift are critical

Did you know a huge amount of road accidents happen within the first 30 minutes of a journey?

Youneedtomakesurethatyou’reconcentratedandswitchedon,theminuteyougetintoyourvehicle.If,forinstance,you’vebeenoutthenightbefore,hadtoolittlesleepormissedbreakfastandarenotatyourbestthenaskyourself,canyoureallybeinchargeofacaranddriveyourselfandotherssafely?

Remember,it’snotjustyourwelfarethatyou’reresponsiblefor.

6 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 7

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Driving whiletired is deadlyTired drivers cause one in five crashes on UK roads every year and many of them (40%)involve people who are driving as part of their job.

Andbecausetheseaccidentshappenatspeed,thedriverhasfallenasleeporhaslostconcentration,youare50%morelikelytodieorhaveaseriousinjury.

Thesafestthingtodoisnottodrive atallifyouarefeelingtired.Youcanhelpthisby:•Taking15-minutebreaksabouteverytwohoursontheroad

•Tellyourmanagerifanythingatworkorinyourpersonallifeisdisruptingyoursleep(e.g.stress,newbabyetc.)

•Sharethedrivingwhereverpossible.

Remember,turninguptheradioorwindingdownthewindowwon’tstopyounoddingoffifyou’retootiredtodrive.

ZZZ


Stay safe!If you find you are suddenly fighting fatigue, then here are 3 simple emergency tactics:1.Findsomewheresafetostop2.Taketwostrongcaffeinedrinks3.Napforabout15minutes


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In this country you do not need a special licence to drive a small or medium-size-van, and yet vans are much more likely to rear end a car or have a collision while reversing.

Ifyouhavetodriveavanbuthaveonlydrivencarsontheroadbeforethenmakesureyoucontactyourmanagerandrequestdrivercoachingbeforesteppingupinvehiclesizeandknowthemaximumloadyourvehicleisallowed

Hereareourtoptipsforstayingsafewhenloadingyourvehicle:•Neverplaceheavyloadsnearthereardoorsunlessthereisotherweightinthecentreofthevehicletobalancetheload

•Becarefulwhenjoiningmotorwaysasitismoredifficulttoseeyourblindspot

•Takeextracareiftheviewfromyourmirrorsisobstructed

•Makesurehazardousequipmentandsubstancesissafetystowed.

The penalty for breaking the safe loading regulations can result in you being fined up to £5,000 for each offence!

Remember,ColasRailneverexpectsanyonetobreakthelaw.andevenifyouareonthewaytoanemergencyincident,ColasvehiclesneverhaveanytrafficdispensationsandmustalwaysfollowthefullHighwayCode.

A van is not a car


Stay safe!The biggest factor in 50% of van accidents is driving with an unsafe load so ensure yours is correctly positioned and well secured. Loose tools and equipment can cause you to lose control of the vehicle and are proved to increase the risk and severity of injury.

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It’s a fact that drivers who ‘speed’ crash much more often than those who don’t. Herearesomesimpleandpracticalthingstostaywithinthespeedlimit:

• Checkyourspeedooften,especiallywhenleavinghighspeedroads

• Alwaysmatchyourspeedtothetypeofroadyouareonandtheroadconditions

• Counta2secondgapbetweenyouandthevehicleinfrontofyou.Doubleifconditionsarewet/icy

• Assumelamppostsmean30mph,unlesssignssayotherwise

• Alwayskeepyourspeeddownaroundschools,20’splentywhenkidsareabout–andmayevenbetoofast

• Trynohigherthan3rdgearina 30mphlimit

• Recognisewhatmakesyouspeed-keepingupwithtraffic,overtakingorbeingtailgated

• Concentrate–distracteddriversspeed

• Slowdownwhenenteringvillagesandurbanareas.Parkedvehiclescanoftenconcealpedestriansabouttocrosstheroad,socutyourspeed

• Giveyourselftime–there’snoneedtospeedandyouwon’tgettherequicker


Stay safe!At higher speeds, there is less time to identify and react to things, it takes longer to stop and impacts are much more serious.

The risk of death is four times higher when a pedestrian is hit at 40mph than at 30mph.

Builtupareas

Single carriageways

Dual carriageways

Motorways

Car-derivedvans 30mph 60mph 70mph 70mph

Smallvanstowingtrailers 30mph 50mph 60mph 60mph

Vansover2.0t maximumweightupto7.5t

30mph 50mph 60mph 70mph

Asabove,towingtrailer 30mph 50mph 60mph 60mph

Goodsvehiclesover7.5t 30mph 40mph 50mph 60mph

MaximumspeedlimitsforvansandLGVs

Speed kills

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ManyofCOLASRail’saccidentsare caused by vehicles shunting into one another. Even minor ones can cause personal injury so take a moment to read these tips and make sure you’re not on the receiving end!

• Don’tloseyourcool!Ifsomebodyistail-gatingyou,letthemovertakewhenitissafetodoso• Alwaysleaveenoughspaceinfrontsoyoucanstopsafelyifsomebodybrakeshardinfrontofyou(rememberthe2secondgap!)• Dropbacksoyoucanspothazardsearlier• Hangbackatroundabouts,remembertousedefensivedrivingtacticstoavoidaccidents

HOW TO AVOID TAIL-END SHUNTS

WATCH

YOUR

BACK


Be safe!Vansaredisproportionallymore frequently involved in rear ending a car. (SWOVfactsheet2010)

Stay safe!Vans are disproportionally more frequently involved in rear ending a car. (SWOVfactsheet2010)

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A huge number of accidents are caused by poor parking or low-speed manoeuvring incidents like reverse parking and 3-point turns.

Allvehiclessufferfromblindspots,especiallyvansandlorries.Soalwaysbeawarethatthereislessvisibilityinavanthanacarandadjustyourdrivingaccordingly.

Wheneverit’spracticaltodoso,reverseparkingwillcutdownthechancesofyoudamagingthevehicleasyouleavetheparkingspace.

It’salsosafertodriveforwardoutofaspaceasvisibilityisgreater.

Here are some things to keep in mind when parking and reversing:•Parklegally!Rememberthatparkingticketsarethedriver’sresponsibility

•Takecareattightaccesspoints•Helpeachothertoreverse(workas ateam)

•Slowdownataccesspoints•Parkatasensibledistancefromothervehiclesandavoidcreatinganobstacletoothers

•Alwaysuseyoursidemirrorswhenreversing

•Ifpossiblealwaysaskyourcolleaguetogetoutofthevehicletoguideyou

•Whenreversingalwaysreverseparkindepotsandofficecarparks-thismakesiteasiertoseepedestrianswhenyouareleavingaspace.

Park it safe!


Stay safe!Always try to avoid parking in narrow roads, opposite driveways, entrances and junctions or too close to other vehicles.

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Over 250,000 accidents per year lead to whiplash injuries – 2,000 of these result in permanent disabilities.

If the accident is at low speed, many of the injuries could be avoided if drivers adjust their head restraints properly.

Followtheseguidelineseverytimeyou getintoyourvehicle–forbestprotectiontheheadrestraintshouldbe:

• Touchingthebackofyourhead, orascloseaspossibletoit

• Atleastashighasthetopofyour ears,andideallyashighasthetop ofyourhead

Are yousitting comfortably?

Stay safe!The top of the head restraint should be level with the top of your head and no lower than 2 inches below – the minimum is just above the ears. It should be no more than 2 inches away from the back of your head.

Correct

Too far back

To Low


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BELT UPDrivers and their passengers who fail to wear seatbelts in the front and back of vehicles are breaking the law. We all know this.

Whatyoumaynotknowisthatina crash,youaretwiceaslikelytodieif youdon’twearaseatbelt.

It just doesn’t make sense not to.

Top tips for seat belt sense:• Thebeltshouldbewornastightaspossible,withnoslack

• Thelapbeltshouldgooverthepelvicregion,notthestomach

• Thediagonalstrapshouldrestover theshoulder,nottheneck

•Nothingshouldobstructthesmoothmovementofthebeltbytrappingit

• Passengersneedtobeltuptoo;if theydon’t,refusetomoveoff.It’syourresponsibilitytoensuretheyfollow therules.

• Don’tbetemptedtoremoveyourseatbeltifyouareapassengertryingtohaveanap.Thisputsyouandothersindanger.

Stay safe!Vans drivers sit higher than in cars so, in the event of an impact there’s a greater chance of them being thrown through the windscreen.


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Park your phone before you drive

Stay safe!So the best thing you can do to keep you and your passengers safe is switch off before you drive off.

You are 4 times more likely to have an accident if you use a mobile while driving, that is why using a hand-held mobile phone in a vehicle is completely banned in the UK. This applies even if you’re stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic.

Youcanonlyuseahandheldphoneifyouneedtocall999or112inanemergencyandit’sunsafeorimpracticaltostop,oryouaresafelyparked.

Ifyouaresafelyparkedyoushouldalwaystakethekeysoutoftheignitionandputthemonthedashboardinplainviewincaseofapolicecheck.

ColasRailhavebannedtheuseofhandsfreephonesastheyareprovedtodistractalmostasmuchashandheldphones,duetothetypeofconversationswearelikelytohavewhilstworking.

Handy hints on mobiles and cars:•Ifyoudoneedtomakeacall,parksafelybeforeusingyourmobilephone.Donotparkonthehardshoulderofthemotorway.

• Don’tcallotherpeoplewhenthey’redriving

• Asktocheckthattheyarenotdriving,askthemtocallyoubackwhentheyhaveparkedupsafely.

• Ifyoudoneedtotakeacallonyourhands-freekit,tellthecalleryou’redrivingandsuggestleavingavoicemailonyourphonetoletpeopleknowyou


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Driven to distraction

Driving is one of the most complicated and risky things many of us do on a regular basis. It needs our full concentration, and both our hands, to drive safely.

Driverdistractioncausesbetween20-30%ofallroadaccidentsyearlywhichmeanssimplythatanythingthattakesyoureyesormindofftheroadoryourhandsoffthewheel,significantlyincreasesyourchancesofbeinginvolvedinacrash

Here are some simple steps to avoid becoming distracted:•Makesurethatyouarereadytodrivebeforesettingoff.Ifyournotintherightframeofmind,waittillyouare

• Recognisewhatmakesyoudistracted inthefirstplaceandavoidit

• Beforedoingsomethingotherthandriving,ask“willthisbedistracting”

• Thinkhowyouwouldfeelifyousawanotherdriverdoingthesamething

• Canyouplananypossibledistractionsoutofyourjourneybeforeyoustart–likesettingupthestereo,knowingyourroute,eatingordoingyourmakeup!


Stay safe!If things get a bit too rowdy in the van, if you use a mobile, eat or fiddle with a stereo, this is when accidents can happen as the driver - you are in control of these things.

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What to do if you have an accidentHere are the simple steps you should take if you are involved in an accident

1.Alwaystakethenamesandregistrationofthevehiclesinvolved,thenumberanddetailsofthepeopleinthevehicle–sometimeswhenthereappearstobelittleornodamage,claimscomealongandwehavenoevidence,sothisisimportant

2.Alwaysexchangedetailsoftheinsurerandreporttheclaimimmediately

3.Takephotoimagesofthescene,thedamagetoallvehiclesandtakeanoteofallindependentwitnesses

4.Evenifthereisminordamage,alwayscontactthepoliceandreporttheaccidentatthetime,gettingdetailsofwhoyoureportitto

5.Iftelematicsoranytechnologyarefittedtothevehicle,makesurethepeopleyoureportittoareaware


Any incidents or accidents that do occur while driving at work will always be investigated in line with Fair Culture principles in an open and transparent manner as signed up to by all 3 Trade Unions and Colas Rail.

Needtoaddsomeemergencyphonecontactnumbershere:Lex,Axa,control,fleet

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Start your journey right

Before starting any journey you can use a simple checklist to avoid suffering any mechanical faults and improve your fuel efficiency.

AtColasweadviseyouusethe POWDERchecklisteverytimeyougetintoyourvehicle: P Petrol/diesel–checktypeoffuel

andgauge

O Oil–checklevel

W Water–checkcoolantandwindscreenwasher

D Damage–reportimmediately

E Electrics–checklightsand warninglights

R Rubber–keeptyresinflatedaccordingtoloadandchecktread


Stay safe!It’s YOUR responsibility to make sure your vehicle is safe and legal before you hop into the driver’s seat and make sure you keep your log book up to date!

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Different weather conditions create different challenges when we are driving.

Asinglejourneymaytakeusinto verydifferentweather,roadandtrafficconditions,soweneedtobeprepared foreachone.

Thefollowingtipswillhelpyoucopebetterwiththedifferenseasonsandtheirweatherhazards.

Before you hit the road…•Makesurethescreenwashcontainssufficientwaterandwinteradditive

•Checkthatallthelightsarecleanandclearandinfullworkingorder

•Ensurethatfrontandrearscreensareclear,insideandout

•Knowtherouteyou’redriving•Avoiddrivinginbadweather.Checkweatherreportsandneverembarkon ajourneyifthere’saweatherwarning.Askyourlinemanagerforadvice

•UseonlyColasRail-approvedcontainersforthecarriageofpetrolinvehicles

Andrememberbrakingdistancescan be10timesaslonginadverseconditions.Keepyourdistanceandadjustyourspeedaccordingtoconditionsratherthantothespeedlimit.

Summer Driving•Onlongjourneys,drinkplentyoffluids•Reducespeedifthesunisdirectlyinfrontofyouandreducingforwardvision

•Beawareonminorroads,ofincreasedagriculturaltraffic

•Ensurepassageoffreshairthroughthevehiclecabandopenthewindows

•Beawarethatexcessheatcaninducedrowsiness

Winter AidsPutafewthingsinthebootincaseyougetstucksomewhere:•Afullychargedmobilephone•Warmclothing,waterproofbootsand ablanket

•Ahi-visjacketclosetohand•Atorchwithfreshbatteries•Piecesofoldcarpettoaidtraction•Cansofhigh-energydrinks•Long-lifehigh-energybars•Aspadeorshovel

Whateverthe weather30 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 31

Stay safe!If you start to skid, come off the brakes or accelerator, turn into the skid and look in the direction you want to go.

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Find out more

Colas Rail DacreHouse19DacreStreetLondon SW1H0DJ.

www.colasrail.co.uk

Safety isn’t a slogan its a behaviourMake a Difference

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