Nigel Grainger brings together a related set of skills that all fleets require, to greater or lesser
degrees, but which may not have the staffing or the skills to fulfil those needs.
Bringing his wealth of experience in all areas of fleet management he offers a bespoke service through his company Fleet Risk Consultants, providing you with a cost effective fleet that complies fully with your 'duty of care' requirements.Mobile Phones – It’s cheaper to get it right than take the risk!
When I am driving along the roads of the UK I am always aware of the vehicles around me. I observe the style of the driving and what the driver is doing in addition to driving. I have started to notice a bit of a trend and it is making me rather cross on a number of levels.
The trend I have noticed is that the more expensive the car the more likely that the driver will be using a hand-held mobile phone. The main culprits seem to be Range Rover drivers, and this is where I get a bit confused. These people have just spent between £37,000 and £70,000 on a car and have been unable to invest £25.00 in a bluetooth headset, perhaps it is me but this seems totally illogical. I am not aware of any technology, yet, on vehicles that allows the vehicle to drive itself whilst the driver is occupied on another task. So these drivers on hand-held mobile phones are clearly the most skillful drivers on the road or the most stupid.
What also strikes me a being rather stupid is the cost of £25.00 for a bluetooth headset, against a £60.00 fine and 3 penalty points for being caught driving whilst using a mobile phone. That is if the driver is lucky enough to get away with just a fine and points, instead of a serious injury or worse.
I am not saying that using a hands-free mobile phone is that much safer, but it is not specifically illegal. The studies show that the use of a hands-free mobile phone makes the drivers reaction times slower than a similar driver at the legal drink drive limit for the UK. This means that even a hands-free mobile phone is not really a safe option either.
We advise companies on the best solution for their business, but we always advise against the use of mobile phones whilst driving wherever possible.
If you are concerned about whether your business is sending drivers out without the right information, you can give us a call and we will undertake a FREE heath check for your business.
Nigel Grainger
Senior Consultant
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